Walter not happy with results but satisfied with Proteas squad development

Though he admitted they were disappointed with some of their results, Proteas limited overs coach Rob Walter was satisfied with the all-round performances produced by the under-strength national team on their tour of the United Arab Emirates.

After losing 2-1 in a one-day international (ODI) series to Afghanistan, the SA team bounced back to beat Ireland 2-1, though they ended their tour with a defeat to the minnows in the third and final ODI on Monday.

Getting off to a poor start with the bat, South Africa were unable to recover, with Ireland earning a 69-run consolation victory in Abu Dhabi.

“Everyone likes to win. We’re all competitive, which is ultimately why we play the game and that’s why they make a winner and a loser,” Walter said.

“But from the coaching space, I try not to get too emotionally attached to the results. It’s really about what progress you see in the players, what implementation we see based on the work we do behind the scenes, and the work that the players themselves are doing, and focussing on making sure we acknowledge those things.

“What have we got right? What are the learnings we still need to do, and what are the things we still need to grow in our game and areas we need to improve.”

Long-term benefits

Having taken the chance against lower-ranked teams to experiment with some fresh blood in the squad, Walter said he was confident they would benefit in the long run.

Looking ahead to upcoming tours against stronger opposition, as well as next year’s Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan, Walter felt they had done well to offer opportunities to fringe players and build the squad’s depth.

He was pleased with multiple players who stood up and delivered, including batters Tristan Stubbs and Jason Smith, as well as seam bowlers Lizaad Williams and Ottneil Baartman.

“Of course it’s great to win a series (against Ireland) – that’s never a bad thing – but I’m still expecting more from this group and expecting more from us as a Proteas team,” Walter said.