The West Indies may have more to gain from their upcoming three-match ODI Series against South Africa then their hosts if, as expected, they are required to pre-qualify for the World Cup in India in October and November.
The men from the Caribbean are desperately clinging to eighth place in the World Cup Super League – the final automatic qualifying spot – but they will be overtaken by the Proteas if they win their two remaining ODIs of the summer against the Netherlands on 31 March and2 April.
The series against South Africa is not part of the WC Super League but, with a tough trip to Zimbabwe likely in June along with nine other teams including Sri Lanka, hosts Zimbabwe, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, forming a winning habit on African soil might be crucial to their chances.
Every team, of course, is building towards the World Cup in seven months' time but Temba Bavuma’s Proteas still have to clear the Netherlands hurdle before they can truly focus on India.
So they, too, need to win convincingly to be confident they won’t stumble against the men in orange as they did at the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.
It is a measure of either the vast array of talent at South Africa’s disposal or the extent of their uncertainty about their best players that the squad for the first two games in East London contains 15 players and that it swells to no less than 19 for the third and final game to be played in Potchefstroom on Tuesday.
New white-ball coach, Rob Walter, will at least get to spend over a week with the players who gathered together on Monday.
SEARCHING FOR WINNING FORMULA
Playing strategy and philosophy will no doubt be as important, if not more so than net sessions as Bavuma and his players begin to understand Walter’s vision.
But just as important for the national administrators will be the chance to take international cricket back to Buffalo Park which has been starved of the game at the highest level for too long, starting with the Covid pandemic.
Bavuma’s own playing philosophy was clear for all to see during the ODI series against England in January during which he made a stunning century – 109 from just 102 deliveries – to help win the second game chasing 342.
The victory clinched the series which the hosts needed to do in order to keep their automatic qualifying hopes alive.
Kagiso Rabada and David Miller are rested for the trip to East London along with Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen but all return for the final game as Walter juggles his pack in search of a winning formula.
As always, the hunt is headlined by the need for allrounders to balance a team which has contained too many ‘specialists’ in recent years.
Wayne Parnell is once again given the chance to establish himself in the 50-over team having done so in the T20 line-up.
The West Indies will have even more changes to their squad with new ODI captain, Shai Hope, set to lead a team including exciting batters Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran and Shamarh Brooks alongside white-ball specialist bowlers Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd and left arm-spinner Akeal Hosein.
Proteas squad for 1st and 2nd ODIsEast London, you're up ??
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) March 14, 2023
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Temba Bavuma (captain)
Quinton de Kock
Rassie van der Dussen
Reeza Hendricks
Tone de Zorzi
Ryan Rickelton
Tristan Stubbs
Wayne Parnell
Andile Phehlukwayo
Gerald Coetzee
Bjorn Fortuin
Sisanda Magala
Lungi Ngidi
Lizaad Williams
Tabraiz Shamsi
Proteas squad for 3rd ODI
Temba Bavuma (captain)
Quinton de Kock
Rassie van der Dussen
Reeza Hendricks
Aiden Markram
David Miller
Ryan Rickelton
Heinrich Klaasen
Tristan Stubbs
Tony de Zorzi
Marco Jansen
Wayne Parnell
Andile Phehlukwayo
Bjorn Fortuin
Sisanda Magala
Gerald Coetzee
Lizaad Williams
Lungi Ngidi
Tabraiz Shamsi
West Indies squad:
Rovman Powell
Shamarh Brooks
Brandon King
Keacy Carty
Kyle Mayers
Nicholas Pooran
Yannic Cariah
Roston Chase
Jason Holder
Shai Hope (captain)
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Romario Shepherd
Shannon Gabriel
Odean Smith