Much to play for in SA v West Indies T20 series - Rob Walter

South Africa’s three-match T20 International series against the West Indies, which begins on Friday and concludes on Tuesday at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, may not count towards qualification for a World Cup or even as a warm-up for an imminent World Cup, but that does not mean they aren’t important.

“That would be a fairly narrow view of these fixtures, we’re only 18 months away from the 2026 World Cup in India in 2026 and we’ve got nine series between now and then,” said head coach, Rob Walter, from Trinidad on Wednesday.

“That leaves us with between 32 and 36 fixtures before that World Cup comes around so giving guys international opportunities against quality sides is important. Not every one of our players is a ‘marquee’ name playing in the domestic leagues so we have to use these games against quality opposition to grow the base of our squad,” Walter said.

“So, for me, these games are massive – does it create ‘freedom’ for the guys to play? I don’t know but when you pull on the green and gold you have a responsibility to represent your country and I know there is a very strong desire to perform and do well. I don’t think the players see a series like this as any less important than any other,” Walter said.

“The franchise leagues around the world and fixture congestion can be a challenge but it can also be a positive for us in that we have a broader base of players who are playing competitive cricket,” Walter said.

'WONDERFULLY CALM' MAPHAKA

For spectators accustomed to cricket where results ‘matter’, the prospect of new faces in the Proteas squad may provide extra interest, especially 18-year-old left-arm fast bowler Kwena Maphaka who was the leading wicket-taker in the recent under-19 World Cup and who has already made his IPL debut.

“He’s a wonderfully calm guy, we’ve seen him perform domestically for the Lions and at the under-19 World Cup, and to run out and perform for the Mumbai Indians in an IPL as a schoolboy, he’s done some incredible things for a very young guy and he’s got a wonderful perspective on it all.

“We were talking about the IPL just yesterday and, although the performance wasn’t there that day, there are very few players his age who can say they’ve played in front of a full Wankhede Stadium. It’s quite a reference point in terms of experience. I love his mindset and calmness and we see him as strong potential for the Proteas moving forward,” Walter said before admitting that ‘managing expectations’ from the young superstar was as important as his bowling returns.

“It’s a challenge that I’m very aware of, giving the players the best chance of success. This is just one part of doing that, as a young guy we’re just one part of his support group. In terms of media, and social media, the guys do read it and we just want to keep him grounded and aware that he’s under no time pressure, we don’t need to speed this journey up, we want to take care of him as an individual,” Walter said.

The @ProteasMenCSA T20 squad is in action against the West Indies for a three-match series 🌴🆚🇿🇦

Here are some of the standout performers in the shortest format over the last 12 months 👇#WozaNawe | #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/LcXZhIEMVH

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 21, 2024

There are four allrounders in the squad, including debutant Jason Smith. It is another concentrated point of focus for the coach.

“There’s no secret that we need to increase our allrounder stocks, it makes such a difference in balancing teams. We’ve made selections based on domestic performances and now it’s a case of seeing whether that translates into international cricket.

“It’s exciting to see Jason come into the Proteas fold and Wiaan (Mulder), too, who is actually still a very young cricketer who has followed a familiar path where they start strong, the opposition figure them out, their game is challenged and then, if they are able to make that improvement, they become much better cricketers. I believe Wiaan is on that trajectory now, which is great to see, and we have Pat Kruger and Donovan Ferreira on this tour, too,” Walter said.

SA T20I SQUAD: Aiden Markram (captain), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Jason Smith, Patrick Kruger, Wiaan Mulder, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottneil Baartman, Kwena Maphaka, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.

FIXTURES: 23, 25, 27 August – Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad.