South Africa's Tristan Stubbs watches the ball after playing a shot during the first day of the second cricket Test match against India South Africa's Tristan Stubbs watches the ball after playing a shot during the first day of the second cricket Test match against India at Newlands in Cape Town earlier this year. Photo: Rodger Bosch/AFP
Proteas’ red ball coach Shukri Conrad has vowed to back Tristan Stubbs in the number three role as the team prepare for their upcoming Test series against the West Indies.
The 23-year-old from Gqeberha has mainly featured in the shortest format for the Proteas, and was key in the team’s impressive run to the T20 World Cup final, where they were beaten by India.
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And after impressing with the bat in first class cricket, where he has a top score of 302, Conrad believes Stubbs has the makings of a good Test cricketer, and will back him in the number three slot during the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
“Tristan is going to be backed. He’s going to be given a good run in that position. His psyche, his technique speaks to someone who will do that job really well, and I’m going to give him a good run,” Conrad said when speaking to journalists on Monday.
“And whether that is all of the (WTC) matches, I’d be surprised if we didn’t back him throughout the rest of the cycle. I’m very confident that Tristain is going to come good, whether it’s in the first Test match or the second, but I think we’ve got a good one for the future of South African cricket,” said the Proteas Test coach.
Conrad went on to add he was impressed with Stubbs’ technique with the bat, and was confident he would be able to handle facing the new ball.
And commenting about Stubbs’ body language, Conrad said: “He's quite an imposing character, a big, strong, strapping boy, and I quite like that. I like the fact that at the top of the order. There are quite imposing guys; guys that have got a good aura about them and strong body language."
The first Test gets underway on Thursday, and will see the Proteas taking on an inexperienced Windies side that’s still licking their wounds after a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of England.
IOL Sport
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