Walter ‘disappointed’ by result but pleased with experience gained by Proteas

Head coach Rob Walter has defended his decision to take an under-strength Proteas limited overs squad on tour to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

With an eye on building the squad’s depth ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy tournament and the 2027 World Cup on home soil, Walter selected a second-string 16-man group for the ODI series against Afghanistan last week, resting some senior players and giving rookies opportunities.

Struggling against a fast-improving Afghanistan side, they were thumped in the first two matches in Sharjah, losing the opening game by six wickets and the second fixture by 177 runs.

The Proteas did hit back with a consolation win by picking up a convincing seven-wicket victory in the third and final clash on Sunday, though their opponents earned a historic 2-1 series win.

“The series result is disappointing, in particular the first two games, where we have exposed some of our fringe players,” Walter said.

“But ultimately we can only get better if we are exposed to conditions, and these conditions were tough, so hopefully this is just a catalyst to us getting better and the depth getting stronger.”

A few changes

Looking ahead, after this weekend’s T20 International series against Ireland in Abu Dhabi, there will be a few more changes to the Proteas ODI squad facing Ireland in a three-match series next week.

Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram and Andile Simelane will all be available for the T20 matches against the minnows, but they will return home ahead of the ODI series, with Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen being drafted into the 50-over squad.

“While we are handing opportunities, we’re not casting the net too wide. We still want to make sure when gaining experience that we’re doing it in a measured fashion,” Walter said.

“So we’re not handing out too many different caps to different players, but building on the experience that the guys have gained from these matches.

“I’m hoping they’ll take this experience into the Ireland series because that’s important. So it’s a similar looking squad and we’re hoping to continue with the momentum.”