By Adarsh Chauhan

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 20 (ANI): South African batter Dewald Brevis expressed excitement for the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2027, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, saying that the whole country will be looking forward to the showpiece event as 'it's going to be special.'

Speaking to ANI, Brevis, a Red Bull-signed cricketer, said that not only the Proteas cricket community but the whole Rainbow Nation is excited about hosting the 2027 ODI World Cup. He also shared how experienced South African players such as David Miller, Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram have guided and supported him.

The last time South Africa hosted an ODI World Cup was 23 years ago in 2003, when they co-hosted it alongside Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Brevis, who has played nine ODIs and has scored 230 runs at a strike rate of 143.75, said South Africa is eagerly looking forward to hosting the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, adding that the country's deep passion for sport and energetic crowds will make the tournament special.

'It's very excited for it to be in South Africa. I think it's not just us as players that are excited, the whole of South Africa will be very excited. The love for sport is very big there and I can just see like the crowds at the games and all of the 'gees' is next to the field, that's a saying in Afrikaans, so it's going to be special,' Brevis told ANI.

Brevis, who has also featured for South Africa in four Tests and 30 T20Is, praised senior South African players such as Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock and David Miller for supporting him and encouraging him to play his natural game, which is to play 'fearless but not reckless cricket'. He said conversations with such experienced players help him learn valuable lessons from their years of international experience.

'They've all been amazing, and they all back me for who I am as a player. Aiden (Aiden Markram), Quinny (Quinton de Kock), Dave (David Miller) and they just want me to be myself and they support that way and, there's a lot that just by listening and speaking, it leads to conversations where you can learn from because they've been playing for South Africa for a very long time and they've been in incredible situations and places. So yeah, there's so much to learn and you do learn every time you have those conversations and chats,' he said.

Dewald Brevis is known for his power-hitting, which is well reflected in his T20I strike rate of 163.23 and the fact that he has hit more sixes than fours in his T20I career so far. In 30 T20Is, Brevis has smashed 55 sixes and 39 fours across 28 innings, scoring 697 runs.

Speaking about his batting philosophy, the right-handed batter said his power-hitting relies more on timing than brute force, stressing that his approach is fearless but not reckless. He added that he wants to stay true to his unique style of play while continuing to improve through training and belief.

'When it comes to power hitting, mine is a much more timing-based power hitting. It's not a slog or a reckless hit. It's fearless but not being reckless. I believe and I strive to get better and more consistent in the way I play. And yeah, the way I play is different and I want to be unique in that way. But yeah, it's all about training, believing, and having faith in that next knock and in that next game. I don't believe my way of playing is high risk. I'm being true to myself,' Brevis told ANI. (ANI)