Five players to watch in Proteas vs Zimbabwe Test series in Bulawayo
South Africa tour of Zimbabwe
Kwena Maphaka celebrates with his Proteas teammates after claiming his first Test wicket, Pakistan star Babar Azam, at Newlands earlier this year. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
The World Test Champions have not had much time to put their feet back up home after their heroics in England.
Shukri Conrad has, though, refreshed the squad with a group of youthful stars looking to push for a place in the starting XI. Here, Independent Media’s Zaahier Adams picks five players that will hope to impress in Bulawayo.
Kwena Maphaka
The teenage fast bowler enjoyed a Test debut earlier this season in the New Year Test against Pakistan at Newlands, and was considered unlucky not to be selected in the 15-man travelling squad for Lord’s with Conrad opting for Lungi Ngidi’s experience instead.
But with regular new-ball bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen rested, and Ngidi unlikely to feature in the first Test, it is an ideal opportunity for the 19-year-old to show that he should indeed be part of the Proteas’ future Test plans.
Matthew Breetzke
Conrad gambled on all-rounder Wiaan Mulder at No 3 in the WTC final, and while Mulder showed great temperament in the second innings at Lord’s to build a partnership with centurion Aiden Markram, it is unlikely that “Wessie” is the long-term solution at first-drop.
In the absence of Markram, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs, Breetzke has the ideal opportunity to stake a claim for a spot in the top-order. He will be keen to show he is a better player than the duck he scored on Test debut in Bangladesh.
Dewald Brevis
Conrad’s prodigy since their SA Under-19 days together, there are few who understand the mercurial brilliance of young Brevis better than the Proteas mentor. It was he that sent Brevis the message to play more red ball cricket after an overload of white-ball, particularly T20s, in a bid to help him understand his game better.
The results have been evident with Brevis prolific in all formats over the past 12 months, and with tours to the subcontinent on the horizon, Brevis could just be the dynamo that Conrad has been searching for in the middle-order.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius
Nobody has hit South African cricket with a storm such as Pretorius has over the last 12 months. The powerful left-hander has dominated every competition he’s played in, from being the leading run-scorer in SA20 to centuries in both List A and first-class cricket for the Titans. An IPL call-up followed, and an SA ‘A’ tour, and now the teenager will get shot at Test cricket.
Codi Yusuf
The Lions fast bowler is arguably the most improved cricketer in South Africa, having played a dominant role with the ball in helping his province to a share of the CSA First-Class championship title.
Equally, the wiry seamer from Florida in the west of Johannesburg, showed he could be successful in different conditions too by excelling for Durham in the English County Championship. With Dane Paterson seemingly out of the plans after the WTC triumph, Yusuf could work his way into the reckoning as the back-up seamer for future tours.