Tristan Stubbs finds form: has the Proteas star timed his World Cup return perfectly?

Proteas batter Tristan Stubbs seems to be peaking at the right time following his heroics for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the Betway SA20 final on Sunday. 

Stubbs has not been in the best of form of late, and his initial omission from the South Africa squad for the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup was met with very little resistance. Yes, his omission made headlines because the 25-year-old is a superstar. However, it did not entirely come as a shock as the batter had been off form for quite some time. 

Following Donovan Ferreira's shoulder injury, one that ruled him out of the ongoing West Indies series and the T20 World Cup, Stubbs was named as his replacement. 

Despite his form, Cricket South Africa's convenor of selector, Patrick Moroney, emphasised that players are not selected only based on statistics and that Stubbs' call-up was based on a host of different reasons. 

"If you're talking criteria, if you're talking numbers and averages and things like that, if teams were selected purely by numbers, then I think everybody would be able to do that kind of a job," Moroney said. 

"Sometimes you need to look at the individual. You've got to look at the experience, and you've got to look at the potential that they could give you. Stubbo has been in that environment. He has done it for us before.

"He was very close to the original selection for the World Cup. So, despite the perception that his current form is not where people perceive it to be or want it to be, for us, he's not the greatest concern.

"We do believe that if he's in the environment with the Proteas, that automatic switch-on will be there. He'll understand his role, and we've got no doubt that he delivers automatically with him coming into the batting order.

"He gives us mobility as well. He can bat four, five or six without any doubt. So, we're very confident and past experience to a certain extent is also important."

Stubbs scored an unbeaten 60-odd during the final of the Betway SA20 this past Sunday, helping the Sunrisers Eastern Cape secure their third trophy in four seasons. 

His knock marked what Moroney and Proteas coach Shukri Conrad would hope to be his return to form. 

The 25-year-old not only won his third SA20 trophy, his first as captain, but he also showed great character, as he overcame adversity, having gone into the tournament under immense pressure following his snub from the original T20 World Cup squad.

Stubbs is also in the Proteas squad for the ongoing three-match series against the West Indies. The Proteas are currently 1-0 up in the series, having won the first match in Paarl by nine wickets. 

Whether he plays the second match in Centurion on Thursday, it will reveal the plans that Conrad has for the T20 World Cup and how he sees Stubbs fitting into his plans.