SYDNEY, Australia (CMC) – South Africa captain AB de Villiers has described West Indies as a “dangerous” team as they prepare to face each other in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Pool B game at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

However de Villiers says the West Indies will crumble if South Africa apply the right pressure in their crunch match with the boys from the Caribbean.

The skipper has conceded that their confidence took a “bit of a slap” in their 130-run mauling by India last Sunday, but they were ready to bounce back against the West Indies.

“They’re a dangerous cricket team. I believe if you put enough pressure on them like any other cricket team they can crumble,” de Villiers told reporters at the SCG on Thursday.

“We haven’t played well in the last game so we’ve got to make sure we look after our side. They do have weaknesses in the team and it’s important to push those buttons, especially in the pressure situations.”

Defeat for South Africa means they would then have to beat Ireland, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates to ensure they finish near the top of their pool and secure an advantageous quarter-final draw.

The West Indies are coming off a spectacular 73-run victory over Zimbabwe with opener Chris Gayle back to his destructive best with the highest ever individual World Cup score of 215.

“It’s maybe a good thing for us to make sure we keep our feet on the ground. We’ve got nowhere to go now,” the skipper said.

“It’s only upwards otherwise we’re going to stumble out of this tournament.”

The match starts 11:30 pm, Thursday, Eastern Caribbean time.