24 February - Cape Town - South Africa player Tazmin Brits post-match press conference
[Reporter]
And 30 years from now you're going to be in a pub somewhere, and somebody is going to say, what the hell happened that day Newlands, what are you going to say to them?
[Tazmin Brits]
Well, I'm hoping it's not 30 years and more like 20 I'd like to retire but sooner as I'm on the older side. Yeah, I don't know I still can't believe it to be honest with you feels like I'm still going to need to wake up in a sense, but I'll probably just tell them all about the experience and that we actually made it to the finals.
[Reporter]
The way you play today. Is it fair to say, Brits defeat the English ladies.
[Tazmin Brits]
I wouldn't say that I'm a massive team play at the end of the day, and with motivation from the side or you know Kappi that bat with me, with Wolfe with her 50 I think we set up the game quite well. So yeah, I wouldn't say that I'd still say we beat England at the end of the day.
[Reporter]
Can you tell us a little bit about your catching and just how you reacted I mean what were you, were you thinking about it was an instinct.
[Tazmin Brits]
I was actually hoping you're going to tell me where I've happened to catch it because I also don't know what happened there my legs are so tired after the batting. I just reacted and yeah, it's stuck and once they started moving me everywhere the ball kept following me at a stage that actually said we should maybe throw you the ball to bowl, and I don't bowl it all so yeah I don't know the catches came and they stuck and today was my day and I'm glad I could take it.
[Reporter]
Yeah, and just on your batting. It was maybe a bit of a slow start to the tournament then you would have wanted but then these last two matches, you've been phenomenal. What's changed and what kinds of things were you working on?
[Tazmin Brits]
Well, I've actually felt quite positive with the tri series I actually scored a 50 with West Indies and I actually had a good knock against Australia just needed a bit more support. So, in my head I was very confident, Pakistan is a bit of a different story I don't know what happened there but you know with Wolfe and I we knew we had be in the power play of course we had to pick up and be a bit more aggressive. So, I'm feeling good. It doesn't always come off, but I'm going to ride the wave while I still can.
[Reporter]
There have been a few moments in your life and your career has been fairly tough. I mean, does it make today just a hell of a lot sweeter.
[Tazmin Brits]
Definitely does. I try not to get too emotional but yeah, today was very very special for me.
[Reporter]
Tell us a bit about the Olympic rings on your biceps you've obviously had that athletics background, but what is the importance of it and how do you look at it against the backdrop of how your career panned out today on the field.
[Tazmin Brits]
Well, I'd like to say it's already signed since I don't do javelin anymore but yeah, I won world champs at a younger age so that's always been the top, you know, top shelf. But if we can win a final yeah I think it'll actually beat – I might have to put the Proteas badge next to this at the end of the day.
[Reporter]
And in terms of your non selection in the 2012 Summer Olympics, how would you look back on that particular day and you're on the cusp of creating history as part of the first South African team to be playing a home World Cup final.
[Tazmin Brits]
Yeah, I'd like to think God puts us in paths and ways to go so I think he changed my path. I'm maybe might be an inspiration to many young girls or whatever the case would be or helping other people not necessarily in cricket. I always try to remain and say I want to be a human first before my cricketer so I think that maybe just gave me the lines to change my direction and help people out.
[Reporter]
Final one, your message to the Australian team defending champions title favourites undefeated in the competition so far.
[Tazmin Brits]
I'm a bit too straight forward, so I'm trying to work on that because I like to say things as they come - but the end of the day cricket is a very funny game and Australia might be the top but at the end of the day, you play the ball you don't play the players, and I think that's what we did in this England side. We didn't play England that we always lost to and it's a constant reminder that I heard I was never in that. You know the semi-finals when they lost is the first semi-final I've ever been in and the first time against England so we'll take it as it comes but very excited to go to the final.
[Reporter]
This tournament started on a very negative note - selection controversy then losing to Sri Lanka in the first game. What has been the strongest point about this South African group, what do you think has stood out in this entire tournament.
[Tazmin Brits]
I'm actually scared when we start gelling - because we haven't actually gelled as a unit to be honest with you. There's either be good batsmen or good bowlers; we haven't really clicked and we ended up making it to semi. I think today we almost basically clicked; the batting was a lot better. I think the bowling, you know, maybe the power play could have been a bit tighter but I'm hoping everything clicks when we go against Australia.
[Reporter]
And what was the discussion in the ground when England were off to a flyer scoring at 10 an over. What was the sort of discussion after four or five overs in the match.
[Tazmin Brits]
It wasn’t necessary – they were scoring boundaries but it wasn't off any shots - I don't know if you guys saw there's a lot of nicks and stuff so we still said you know let's stick to the basics. Once the powerplay is over and we can actually put the players out - for them out. I think the game will become easier, so basics - you hit the ball, your stock ball or whatever you're bowling make sure you feel set for that. And the catches came and we took them and yeah, the end is history.
[Reporter]
Could you just tell us as a team. What has changed from the first game - obviously you guys lost to Sri Lanka, what has changed in terms of the team?
[Tazmin Brits]
I think we've always believed that we could do it. So I don't think it's necessary something that person needs to rock up but I think maybe a bit of adrenaline and nerves I mean you playing in front of I don't know how many people in your own country and for myself I was very nervous I mean I even got hit against the head – I wasn’t sure to go off or not what was I to do - but yeah I think we become more settled to it and we weren't expecting to be technically to be where we are now so it's kind of like I said the underdog which underdog ends up making you want to be better so we just challenge the team and we keep going.
[Reporter]
What do you think had a bigger impact on the results, your runs or those four catches, specifically, the one at mid-wicket and then one short maybe.
[Tazmin Brits]
I'd like to think the runs because as a batter when your backs against the wall it's a bit difficult to get the ball through the fielder, especially when you need 10 an over. So, I'd like to think the runs maybe made England stress a bit.
[Reporter]
Quickly, you went off briefly, and you might have mentioned that you went off briefly after the Capsey catch, what was behind that, what was it.
[Tazmin Brits]
Yeah, when I dived. This whole thing was actually – it was a vein that popped, it stood out but they pushed it down - so it's back down, we weren't sure it was a bone or not and then I said to him. Mo – he’s our physio - I said, please let me go back on the field - he said no let's go sort this. I said no I need to go to the field. So yeah, I had to go off and he had to just make sure the doctor and him just checked and make sure there's no bones broken.
[Reporter]
Just wanted to ask your thoughts on Ismail Kapp and Ayabonga Kaka – they were in the niche just after the last over and in between as well, and then Kaka who had gone for 20-25 runs coms back and takes 3 in the final. What were the feelings in the middle, what could you pick up or what are they saying in the middle - your thoughts on them?
[Tazmin Brits]
Like I said cricket is a funny game but I'll throw the ball to one of those three at any day. I mean, they’re seniors they know what to do they know when you tell them to bowl a stock bowl or a Yorker - they pretty much can give it five or six times for you where your younger bowler probably won't - so they knew what they were up against. So, like I said, I'll throw the ball to them any day to do that.
[Reporter]
The English captain said that the crowd was a great experience for them. You guys have never played in front of this many people, apart from this tournament. What's it like playing in front of them like are you hearing some cool things coming at you or like what's it like.
[Tazmin Brits]
Well, I've always said I'd rather be in a crowd in my own home if I can put it that way because it's not nice to play in England and have their crowds - they have been there many single time so yeah, it's difficult to get people chanting your name and I actually - and I'm one of those friendly guys I actually want to wave or do like a robotic stretch and hope someone follows me, but then I think to myself should that ball come -- what am I going to do? Am I going to catch the ball, I don't want to take the focus away from the game but I like to have a good time, but yeah having our crowd definitely helped us.
[Reporter]
Congratulations on the women for qualifying for the first time in the finals of the World Cup.
I wanted to ask her how important is this win for South Africa as a whole country, or do you think this when can inspire the next generation of women's cricketers in South Africa.
[Tazmin Brits]
I don’t want to make the same mistake as Wolfe so I know you on zoom. Um, no, I think it definitely inspires the younger generation a lot of times in our country - we have a multi different race and cultures and all of those things so to actually be able to make cricket a career and to show what it's about, especially the women's game, I definitely think this was a massive change and I think for the first time us as women can actually stick up a hand and we actually have the goals rooting for us at the end of the day.
[Reporter]
When I spoke to you in Dublin last summer, you were talking about possibly retiring, but obviously you don't regret that decision now you've really come back. And what did you do to reinvent yourself during that the last few months.
[Tazmin Brits]
I like to always tell myself not to retire, because when it gets a bit hard a person that tends to think that's the easy way out, I am 32 at the moment. And I think maybe golf will be a bit of a better job to do - I like World Champs – longest drive I've been there - I think it's a bit less stress heavy too - you know 11 teammates on the field. I don't know I just went back to the drawing board. I looked at a power game which I still think I'm a capable of a lot more to be honest with you. I think I can be a lot more aggressive especially in the power play, but it's getting there slowly but surely, I mean, it's rather late than never.
I think a person's game can evolve after the age of 30, and I think I'm starting to get to know my game a bit better.
[Reporter]
Just in terms of the thinking of retiring, can you talk us through what was going through your head at the time. And where does this kind of form that you're sort of in at the moment, counts in terms of your career and given that like last year you weren't initially in the team for the Commonwealth Games and then you were in and now you've just had quite an interesting few month.
[Tazmin Brits]
I always back myself I think they made a mistake to leave me with the England series to be honest with you. I actually said that in my PDP, they see me just as a T20 player and I think I'm capable of doing all formats, but I've had that discussion with them. So yeah, it's never nice to getting left at home. And when people leave you at home more often you kind of think maybe I should save the nation and go to become a teacher or something different. Yeah, and then when you look again, you get the call up, I got the call up with the England series, the last T20 and I scored a 50 and then you go again. I mean cricket is a funny game, you in the top, the next day you at the bottom, but I kind of think my capability is there and I would like to go for another few years. If not, maybe another World Cup or two -