Zaahier Adams
THE Proteas are blessed with an abundance of top-order batting options. And there will be many calling for the injection of fresh faces such as Ryan Rickelton, Matthew Breetzke and possibly even a wildcard such as Dewald Brevis.
But I simply cannot forget the T20I series against Australia in Durban last year in a hurry when the 2021 T20 world champions wiped a youthful Proteas team 3-0 with white-ball coach Rob Walter stating: “Our next best have got work to do” in the aftermath.
International cricket is not franchise cricket. There are simply no freebies on offer.
That’s why I have opted for the experience of Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen. De Kock may be on the lean side of runs in the T20 leagues, but it's always been about having a meaningful target to aim at for “Quinny”. And there is no bigger bullseye than a last opportunity to win a major tournament with the Proteas. This is the fuel that fires up De Kock’s engine.
Van der Dussen, meanwhile, possesses that irrepressible character of always wanting to prove people wrong. And most often he does. Tell him that he can’t bat at a strike-rate of 150, and he will wake up every morning for the next six months working on ways to improve to show you that he can. It's just the Rassie way.
Crucially, he also covers No’s 1-6 across the entire batting order.
And lastly, Nqaba Peter. Having read my above comments, it might seem strange that I would want to take a 21-year-old into the lion’s den. The leg-spinner is pure X-factor though. His quick trajectory and combination of googlies and sliders would be ideal for the matches in New York where the newly-laid surface is expected to offer pace and bounce.
But what about the mauling he suffered in his final over at the Wanderers on Sunday? I believe it came at just the right time for him to come back to earth and work even harder on his craft.
This is not a cautious selection approach. It’s a pragmatic one.
Ongama Gcwabe
THE time has come for South Africa to move forward into the future, and the upcoming T20 World Cup is an opportunity to take the first step. Veteran Quinton de Kock is fighting for the opening spot in the side. However, based on current form, he is punching a long way above his weight as 27-year-old Ryan Rickelton has shown better form in the SA20 and the T20 Challenge. De Kock has been appalling both in the SA20 and the ongoing Indian Premier League. The 31-year-old is clearly looking to move on from international cricket and has already done so in Tests and ODIs. What is the point of selecting him instead of giving a youngster who’s experience South Africa will benefit from in the future a chance?
Nandre Burger has been a great find this past summer and he proved it in his debut international season where he turned out in all three formats for South Africa. Unless there is a major injury concern, Burger is a starter in the Proteas World Cup XI, especially with South Africa missing Anrich Nortje. The 28-year-old adds a different but complementary dynamic to the Proteas attack in that he is southpaw and bowls in excess of 150km/h. Given his IPL experience with Rajasthan Royals, one would say Burger is ready for his first World Cup.
There are very few teams in the world that could put up a middle-order as strong as the current Proteas middle-order. The power and skill that Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller possess is almost unmatched. In the Proteas side, this is probably the one part of the team that coach Rob Walter need not to worry about.
Perhaps what needs reinforcement is the top-order. This is where Matthew Breetzke comes in. The 25-year-old has shown great form in the SA20 and the CSA T20 Challenge. Excluding the youngster from the squad makes no sense, especially excluding him for an older player that will likely move on from international cricket soon.