The Test triumph over India here at the Eden and the series victory that followed last November have further boosted South Africa, captain Aiden Markram emphasised.

“There were obviously quite a few guys who weren’t here then but are part of this World Cup team. For them, maybe they were watching back at home, knowing that cricket as a whole in South Africa is trending in a good direction.

“They desperately want to be a part of something like that and have that opportunity now at the World Cup. I think it does help from a confidence and a belief point of view,” Markram said on Tuesday.

Owing to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, some of the Proteas’ family members reached the city in time for their T20 World Cup semi-final clash against New Zealand on Wednesday, rerouting via Ethiopia and Tanzania. The Kiwis, though, are focusing on the semi-final.

“Everyone’s not too far away from the news, whether it’s on your phone or the TV. At the end of the day, I think we’re pretty safe here, and we have a massive game tomorrow (Wednesday). So, what we can do is prepare for this game,”skipper Mitchell Santner said.