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Stay humble, says Arthur

Durban: South Africa’s coach Mickey Arthur said they are not going to “sit on their laurels” following their sensational six-wicket victory over Australia in the first cricket Test at Perth.

“One victory does not make a summer. There is still huge amount of cricket left for us to play. So the message is enjoy the moment but it is back to hard work tomorrow.

“The cricketers are now in a very good state. The victory was well celebrated but the key for us and the message that Graeme (Smith) and I are giving everybody is to stay humble. We came into this Test series very focussed and we have to maintain that in terms of concentrating on the game,” Arthur said on Tuesday ahead of the second Test in Melbourne, which starts on Friday.

The visitor secured a 1-0 lead after the first Test by chasing down a record 414 runs earlier this week.

Highly important

Arthur also feels that it is highly important for the Proteas to remain focussed till the end of the high-octane series and said, “I have said right from the start that what we can only control is our performance. We can’t let the opposition, the media, the public or the hype distract us. We are a very focussed unit at the moment and that is the way we need it to remain.”

Arthur also hinted skipper Greame Smith’s elbow-injury will not stop him from playing in the next Test and said: At some time we are going to have to sit down and discuss the plan going forward as to exactly what we do with it but it is not going to keep him out of this Test match or the next one.”

Also, on availability of injury-hit left-hand batsman Ashwell Prince, Arthur said: “He was re-X-rayed yesterday and he is making very good progress. I guess the test will come when he gets into the nets and then we will know really where we are.

“But there is going to be a breaking point, otherwise it is going to be more of the same (injury) and we can’t afford that. When we do that is going to be up for discussion,” he said.

The coach also maintained that retirement of spinner Shane Warne and paceman Glenn McGrath have forced Brett Lee to deliver too much, which is affecting his performance on the ground. — PTI

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