The busiest cricketing winter in South Africa’s history has seen international competition for men and women from Under-19 level through to full Protea representation.
In between there have been matches and tours for ‘A’ teams and even ‘SA Emerging’ squads.
While the majority of the men’s nationally contracted players have been rested, there have been times when it appears more difficult NOT to be chosen for a national squad than to receive a call-up of one sort or another.
‘A’ team batsmen Lesego Senokwane and Zubayr Hamza might be regarded as first-class ‘specialists’ and therefore unlikely to make the national white-ball teams but wicket-keeper batter Sinethemba Qeshile and captain Marques Ackerman are undoubtedly multi-format cricketers who might have hoped for a call-up to a severely depleted national squad currently playing a T20 International Triangular Series followed by three ODIs in Windhoek.
Qeshile scored 328 runs in the two ‘A’ team matches with just a single dismissal while Ackerman, who seems destined to progress no further than captain of the ‘A’ team, no matter what he does, scored 260 runs at an average of 130.
But the cross-over between the ‘SA Emerging’ squad and the ‘A’ squad may also have caused some confusion.
Twenty-eight-year-old Lions batsman Mitchell van Buuren was presumably selected as a senior player to captain the ‘Emerging’ squad but where does that leave 29-year-old all rounder Dayyaan Galiem who was discarded by the Proteas after a solitary T20 International three years ago?
Andile Simelane, another all-rounder, has played 10 T20 Internationals but couldn’t crack the ‘A’ squad this winter and was relegated to the ‘Emerging’ squad.
But…was it, in fact, a relegation? The assumption that the ‘A’ squad is senior to the ‘Emerging’ squad, and therefore closer to Proteas selection has never been confirmed and may be incorrect.
Even more complicated is the status of the majority of players currently in the Proteas squad in Namibia.
Most of them are ‘filling in’ for the established and nationally contracted players who have been given time off after a busy (and lucrative) 5-6 months playing Franchise tournaments.
'CONCENTRATE ON PLAYING'
Where do they stand in the pecking order?
“It’s a tough one and there’s a couple of answers to that question which I don’t have,” said the man captaining the team in Namibia, Bjorn Fortuin.
“There’s quite a few decisions which get made along the way with ‘higher-ups’ which I’m not privy to. My focus is on the squad which is here and the XI which walks onto the park on any given game day…”
Fortuin modestly asserted that he did not see himself “…as a natural leader” although he unquestionably enjoys the respect of his team-mates as a long-serving and successful senior pro with the Lions.
Captaining the national team is “a great honour” but does it mean he is the next best spin-bowling all-rounder behind Keshav Maharaj – who is currently playing in the European T20 Premier League.
“I do understand the question and sometimes there are a few questions asked about what is actually going on and what the plan is going forward, not only with certain individuals but also the teams. If you look at the squads I can understand those questions being asked but, I don’t really have many answers for you. Sorry.”
The approach to player management was to tell them to ‘concentrate on playing’ and leave everything else to the selectors and administrators.
But it rarely brought the best out of them. It is certain that Proteas head coach, Shukri Conrad, is overseeing a grand plan involving as many as 40 players with some international experience or the talent and potential to play for the Proteas.
It’s just that some of them might benefit from knowing their part in it.