An in-form Dewald Brevis might be the key to the Proteas winning a World Cup
Dewald Brevis’s recent impressive performances in the SA20, including a career-best 75 not out, signal his potential to be a key player for the Proteas in the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies and possibly the World Cup. Picture: AFP
Image: AFP / File
It’s no secret that Dewald Brevis has not fully delivered on his promise domestically and on the international stage just yet, but as he matures, there are signs that he is ready to make that vital step-up.
On Wednesday, Brevis recorded his highest score (75 not out) in the SA20 as the Pretoria Capitals (PC) upset favourites Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) in qualifier one to advance to Sunday’s final.
What’s even more encouraging is that his explosive 38-ball knock followed a score of 53 over the weekend in PC’s final group game against the Joburg Super Kings at the Wanderers.
It’s long been established that Brevis is capable of producing incredible scores, as only the question surrounding his consistency remained.
Brevis’s Rise in SA20 and Upcoming T20I Series Against West Indies
Before his innings on Wednesday, Brevis was not among the top ten-10 scorers in the SA20, but that is not the case with one game left in the competition for him.
If he can produce another top performance in the final, it will be the perfect platform heading to the three-match T20I series against the visiting West Indies.
Though South Africa are only ranked fifth in the T20I rankings, the Windies are even lower down in seventh. That means there will be less pressure to perform and perhaps fill Brevis with a sense of freedom.
Of course, that’s also one of the criticisms of Brevis - that he often fails to produce on the biggest stage. However, he already showed in August last year when he blasted 125 not out against Australia that he can produce the goods when it matters most.
He also followed that with his second-best score in the format with 53 against the same opposition four days later in Cairns.
Since then, his highest score in nine T20Is has been 31. Again, that speaks to his lack of consistency, but with everything we’ve seen of late, perhaps that is about to change.
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
** JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Send us an email with your comments, thoughts or responses to iolletters@inl.co.za. Letters should be a maximum of 500 words, and may be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Submissions should include a contact number and physical address (not for publication).