MI Cape Town batters Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen during an SA20 match this season. Picture: SA20
A number of local talents have been pushing their case for inclusion in the Proteas setup ahead of the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June with top performances in the SA20 competition.
The Proteas will be desperate for a better showing in the competition after their last two appearances, at the 2021 event in the UAE and Oman and the 2022 event in Australia, where they were unable to progress to the knockout rounds.
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It was particularly embarrassing in 2022 when they just needed a win over the Netherlands in their final pool match to make it to the semis but were instead dumped out unceremoniously by the Dutch minnows.
Some exciting new talents could thus bring a breath of fresh air to the Proteas T20 setup and give them a major boost heading into the World Cup.
On the batting front Ryan Rickelton and Matthew Breetzke have been superb for their respective sides, MI Cape Town and Durban’s Super Giants, with them currently topping the run scoring charts, and they must surely be in the frame for a call-up.
Rickelton has been in an out of the Proteas side, having played in four Tests and two ODIs, but has been unable to hold down his place, while Breetzke has featured in three T20Is all last year, indicating that he may be in the plans ahead of the showpiece event.
Other batters bubbling under include Jordan Hermann, who hit one of just three centuries in the SA20 so far, as well as Leus du Plooy and Mitchell van Buuren who have impressed.
On the bowling side Joburg Super Kings’ Lizaad Williams and Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s Ottneil Baartman are the non-regular Proteas to have impressed the most so far and should be in the mix come selection time.
Williams is second on the wicket taking chart, but enjoys the best strike rate of any of the bowlers in the top 10, while Baartman is joint fourth on the wicket taking list but has the best average of the bowlers in the top 10.
Williams is another in and out Proteas player, with two Tests, four ODIs and 11 T20Is to his name, so he will want some regular game time, while Baartman was picked for the Proteas Test squad in 2021 but has yet to make his national debut.
Other bowlers who could be considered include Junior Dala, Thomas Kaber and former Proteas star Imran Tahir who has been rolling back the years.
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