Chris Gayle is a big fish in a very big pond, says Kasigo Rabada's father

Mumbai: On Saturday, not only the members of the South African team were waiting for the result of the England-Sri Lanka match (Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla) but the family members of few players back home in South Africa were keeping a close-track of the match.

In order to stand a chance of qualifying for the semifinals, Sri Lanka will have to beat England and South Africa will have to win their final group-1 match against Sri Lanka on Monday.

"We are not out of the tournament yet and still hopeful," Dr Mpho Rabada, the father of the 20-year-old fast bowler Kasigo Rabada, said on Saturday morning.

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In fact, the right-hand bowler Rabada's family will be in India if his team progresses.

"Me, my wife (Florence) and the other son (Atlegang) will be in India, if Sri Lanka wins. Sri Lanka needs to win themselves to have a chance to progress and that favours us too," he adds.

Interestingly, Dr Rabada was providing a church service (in his country) on the day of Good Friday when Kasigo took the prize wicket of Chris Gayle in Nagpur.

"Chris Gayle is a big fish in a very big pond and getting him out when the task seems insurmountable is a great leap forward in the confidence of the young man," Rabada senior said.

"The bigger fish, however, is the prize of winning games, getting the big fish scalps can only be a step in the right direction," he added.

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"Winning games is the ultimate goal and hope that a few things will click and he will be unplayable most often," Dr Rabada hoped.

"My son must always hope to smile at the end of the day. Win or lose, keep shooting for the stars. Some things are above us and we have to wait and see but most of all accept whatever comes our way," he signed off.