‘Winning breeds confidence’: Walter relieved with Proteas series victory

While the last game was abandoned due to rain at the Wanderers on Saturday night, head coach Rob Walter says he can take multiple positives from the Proteas’ 2-0 victory over Pakistan in their T20 series.

Having won the first and second matches last week, the SA team had already wrapped up a series win ahead of the final rained-out fixture.

It was South Africa’s first T20 series victory in more than two years, and Walter admitted he was relieved.

“As they say, winning breeds confidence, so from our point of view it was just about sticking to the processes and trusting the things we’ve been working on, trusting the players we’ve been giving opportunities to, and really trusting that the losses would turn into wins,” Walter said.

“So from a team point of view I think they’ll take heart from that, and I must take my hat off to them for continuing to work hard and sticking to the way we want to play the game, and trusting it will pay off.”

Senior players standing up

Walter was most pleased with senior batters in the squad who performed well, as well as some of the younger bowlers who managed to stand up and deliver.

In the two games that were played, Reeza Hendricks scored a century, while David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen both hit half-centuries.

All-rounder George Linde, who made a return to the side after a lengthy hiatus, was named Player of the Series after taking five wickets and making 48 runs.

“You want senior players to stand up when they’re surrounded by a younger crew who are sort of cutting their teeth in the international space, and we definitely had that in this series, which is awesome,” Walter said.

“And then from a bowling point of view, a very young line-up with not a lot of caps under the belt got the job done, in the first game in particular and then in parts in the second game.

“So I’m really chuffed with those two aspects of the game, and the way we played… we continued to play a positive, attacking brand of cricket.”

The first of three ODI matches between South Africa and Pakistan will be played in Paarl on Tuesday.