‘One thing that you could never question with Reeza (Hendricks, pictured) is certainly the attention to detail,’ said Proteas T20 coach Rob Walter. Photo: AFP
While it may seem blatantly obvious to regular watchers of the copious amounts of T20 cricket on offer, dominating the opening Powerplay remains the key to winning or indeed losing your fair share of short-format matches.
During the recent T20I showdown against India, the Proteas fell way short in three of the first six-over Powerplays across the four matches.
It is no coincidence that the only Powerplay the Proteas won in Gqeberha also resulted in their solitary victory of the series.
South Africa’s limited-overs coach Rob Walter admitted yesterday – after naming a much-changed squad – that there needs to be major improvement in this crucial area of the game if the Proteas are to turn their fortunes around in the upcoming three-match series against Pakistan.
“The Powerplay with bat and ball wasn’t strong for us in the (India) series. And it is certainly a way to get into the fixture and get yourself ahead of the momentum. So, we want to work really hard and continue to work hard on how we do that,” Walter said.
“The game is moving forward very quickly. So, we have to ensure that we also trend and stay ahead of it.
“Certainly the Powerplay with bat and ball is an area that we need to touch up on and pay attention to, and then continue to manage how we operate ourselves in the ‘death’.”
To address this difficulty, it might have been expected that Walter would rip up the script, change up the personnel and bring in a few fresh faces for the Pakistan series – particularly with regular captain Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs being unavailable due to Proteas Test duty.
Instead, Walter has blindingly stuck to the same opening pair of Ryan Rickelton (55 runs at an average of 13.75) and Reeza Hendricks (45 at 15) that yielded a sum total of 100 runs across seven innings against India.
Furthermore, Walter has recalled 35-year-old Rassie van der Dussen in the hope that the experienced right-hander might add some stability at the top, which sort of goes against the mantra of wanting to “encourage the guys to play an aggressive brand of cricket”.
“I’ll always err on the side of backing the players and giving them a couple of extra games. I mean, you know, one thing that you could never question with Reeza is certainly the attention to detail. He’s always a hard worker,” Walter said.
“He’s got a great attitude towards his game and towards moving his game forward. So yeah, I want to keep backing him to do that for now.
“And I think if you look at Ryan Rickelton, he’s possessed that opening spot. You know, he’s obviously had a sensational year in the lead-up to his selection.
“There is risk attached to playing in an aggressive style, and it’s, I suppose, just refining what that looks like against the opposition of international standards.
“So, we want to just continue to encourage the guys to play an aggressive brand of cricket. You know, that’s certainly what’s brought us success.
“But then also understanding conditions and how the games look specifically, you know, what options are they taking that are their strengths in those key moments.”
With Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada also missing the T20I series due to the quick turnaround after the Test series against Sri Lanka, Walter has opened the door for freelancers Tabraiz Shamsi and Anrich Nortjé to reintegrate into the Proteas fold for the first time since the T20 World Cup in July.
Nortjé has played a limited amount of domestic cricket in South Africa since – restricting himself to only home T20 matches for the Warriors – but he has recently participated in the Abu Dhabi T10.
Walter, though, feels that the experienced seamer’s workload will be sufficient to put him into contention for inclusion in the Proteas squad for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy looming next February.
“We want to set ourselves up to take our best team to the Champions Trophy, obviously, all injuries aside,” he said.
“So, Anrich is certainly a name that will feature in the conversation around our best squad. So, certainly not only specific to T20s involvement.
“He’s a guy that comes with a lot of experience. So, playing 50-over cricket, lots of it is not necessary.
“We have the series against Pakistan and then the tri-series prior to the Champions Trophy.
“But before that, he’s going to be very active in the SA20 and now in this series. So, I’m not worried about his playing from the playing point of view.
“As I said, he’s not a young cricketer now. He plays a lot. He understands his game.
“So, I think there’s enough cricket in between now and then to be happy that he’d be ready, should be selected.”
Western Province all-rounder George Linde has also been recalled after a three-year spell in the international wilderness, while Heinrich Klaasen will lead the Proteas in the absence of Markram.
Proteas T20 Squad
Heinrich Klaasen (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Anrich Nortjé, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Simelane, Rassie van der Dussen.
* Matthew Breetzke, Kwena Maphaka and Ryan Rickelton are set to join the squad following their Test commitments against Sri Lanka. Tabraiz Shamsi’s participation in the ongoing Global Super League in Guyana may affect his availability for the 1st T20I.