Rassie van der Dussen out to prove something with fresh-faced Proteas in Zimbabwe, New Zealand series
Rassie van der Dussen is set to lead a rejuvenated Proteas squad featuring promising young talent in the upcoming tri-series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand, aiming to build momentum ahead of the World Cup. Picture: AFP
Image: AFP
The last time Rassie van der Dussen led the Proteas in a limited overs series, it did not go well. Starting against hosts Zimbabwe in Harare on Monday, in the T20 tri-series also involving New Zealand, Van der Dussen is confident things will go better this time.
In 2024, Van der Dussen skippered SA in an ODI against Ireland and three T20Is against the West Indies and the Proteas lost every single clash.
That, however, was a long time ago for the Proteas and they also have some new ICC silverware in the form of the World Test Championship mace in their trophy cabinet.
With Van der Dussen returning to the side at the age of 36, he still has plenty to prove for the Proteas.
Van der Dussen Embraces Leadership and Exciting New Talent Ahead of the World Cup
“The leadership role is not new for me, but it is still a great privilege and honour. In this build-up to the next World Cup, there are some really exciting guys coming through, which is the sign of a healthy system. If we can give the selectors a headache, then that is a good thing,” Van der Dussen told SportsBoom.co.za.
“I’ve been on the end of missing out on a World Cup squad, for last year’s event, and it’s tough, even though I understood and respected the decision. But the Proteas have a great environment at the moment and we’re coming up against some strong teams, so it’s a big chance for younger guys to come through.”
There are also a number of fresh faces in the squad, and that’s something that excites Van der Dussen, who has played over 120 limited-overs matches for his country.
“We have really talented bowlers like Nqaba Peter and Kwena Maphaka, and on the batting front, we have Lhuan-dre Pretorius, fresh from his incredible Test debut, and Dewald Brevis, who is flying high after a dominant IPL. He will be really confident after we kind of unleashed him at MI Cape Town.”
“Corbin Bosch’s last seven months have been unbelievable, and hopefully, he can just keep riding that wave. He has a real x-factor because he can bowl 145km/h and score hundreds.”