Five Proteas players to watch during Windies T20 series
Watch out for Dewald Brevis (pictured), Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kwena Maphaka, and Lungi Ngidi as the Proteas face the West Indies in a crucial T20I series, serving as a warm-up for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Picture: AFP
Image: AFP / File
The three-match T20I series begins with hosts South Africa welcoming the West Indies in Paarl on Wednesday, and by Sunday it will be all over. With the short three-match series serving as a warm-up for the T20 World Cup next month in India and Sri Lanka, there will be plenty on the line for the Proteas.
The SA20 concluded over the weekend in Cape Town, and there was a bit of conjecture when the Proteas squad for the World Cup was announced in the first week of the competition.
As luck would have it, two of the standout performers— Ryan Rickelton and Ottniel Baartman— missed out on selection.
Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs were added to the squad last week as replacements for the injured Donovan Ferreira and Tony de Zorzi. Baartman, though, still did not get the nod. However, here are five players to watch in the series against the West Indies.
Dewald Brevis
Brevis was the standout player in the SA20 final for Pretoria Capitals as he brought up his first century in the competition. That was especially impressive considering he scored 101 in a team total of 158. Ultimately, Brevis found himself on the losing side as Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) romped to victory, but his performance in a high-pressure environment was significant. He will be expected to again produce the goods against the Windies.
Ryan Rickelton
As one of the late inclusions in the Proteas World Cup squad, he will want to translate his good form in the SA20 onto the international stage. Where he will fit in the team alongside Quinton de Kock, who is a guaranteed starter, remains to be seen.
Tristan Stubbs
Stubbs was first dropped from the Proteas side due to a dip in form, but a couple of good knocks in the latter stages of the competition, including 63 unbeaten to lead SEC to victory in the final, seem to indicate he’s back in good nick. He will therefore want to keep his name among the runs against the West Indies.
Kwena Maphaka
One of the main talking points of the Proteas squad was the selection of the 19-year-old Maphaka over Baartman, who is in fine form. The left-arm quick had an average SA20 with just four wickets from eight matches. Against the West Indies, though, the youngster will be keen to repay the faith shown in him by the selectors.
Lungi Ngidi
Ngidi turned in a solid performance in the SA20 and remains one of the strike bowlers for the Proteas. In fact, Ngidi delivered the fourth most dot balls in the SA20 with 105 in eight matches. However, Ngidi had some injury concerns in the latter stage of the competition, although he did play in the final. More than anything, Ngidi will just want to show he can put in a good shift against the West Indies without any niggles resurfacing to show he is fully fit.