Need to make a strong start against India in CT: de Villiers

South Africa will have to make a strong start against India in their opening match of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy if it wants to lay its hands on a piece of ICC silverware, a feat the country has not achieved since 1998, Protea captain A B de Villiers said.
De Villiers feels that the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy is a golden opportunity for South Africa to shed its tag of perennial chokers in big tournaments.
"We are really looking forward to the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales. This is another opportunity for us to win that elusive ICC trophy and it will be a great test for our ODI squad looking ahead to the World Cup in two years," de Villiers said.

"I personally think every opponent in our group is a threat. Our recent 3-2 win over Pakistan only highlighted the threat they (Pakistan) can pose in the limited-overs format, and India and West Indies can both be destructive if they arrive on the day. We are going to have to start strong in our opening match against India at the Cardiff Wales Stadium and hopefully use the momentum for the extra advantage through the group stages," he said.
"Our performances (in ICC events) have not been a true reflection of the talent and skill that we possess, and this year we will be out to change that. We will always have this monkey on our back until we win the competition so hopefully this time around we will be able to overcome the pressure."

The Pretoria-born wicketkeeper-batsman, who has 5,542 ODI runs to his name to date, singled-out some key players, including players from not only his own side, for special praise.
"The nature of ODI cricket is such that any player can take the game away on the day. I think looking specifically at our group, Chris Gayle is one of the major players that stands out, as well as Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is a master-class with the bat," he said.