The CSA Emerging team will be out to replicate their form from the previous two seasons when they begin their Division 2 campaign on Sunday against the Eastern Storm.
The Emerging side will be made up of various schoolboy cricketers from around the country and will provide the youngsters with ideal conditions to learn and grow their games in a senior competitive environment.
The 2023/24 edition of the One-Day Cup was won by the SA Emerging side, showcasing the talented youth coming through the CSA pipeline.
Head coach of the team Malibongwe Maketa sees the competition as the perfect environment for these young players to test their skills in preparation for the next ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup in 2026.
"Playing in this competition is valuable for us in that it exposes these young players, especially the schoolboys, to tough cricket," Maketa said. "Usually when we get to the [Under 19] World Cup they are playing against young men who have been exposed to first-class cricket and youth cricket.
LEARNING FROM THE SENIOR PROFESSIONALS
Importantly for Maketa this opportunity gives the coaching staff the chance to see how these players fare against some seasoned cricketers.
"The best way for these players to learn is to be out there playing against these senior professionals.
"It also gives us enough information on the areas that we need to focus on in the development of each of these players on their journey to become professional cricketers."
The ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 will be taking place in Namibia and Zimbabwe in the early part of the year. For Maketa and his staff there is a long time to prepare, and players will be hoping to impress ahead of the showpiece event next year.
"There is still a long way to go until the World Cup and those players that don't have the opportunity to play in this tournament could still be selected, and players that do play in the One-Day Cup might not get selected for that squad.
"We are very open in terms of exposure for players, but we are looking at the top crop of players that have performed in the past and still qualify to play in the World Cup.
"This is a chance for us to give them an opportunity to see how they perform at the next level," Maketa added.
SCHOOL COMES FIRST
The squad’s make-up will change from game to game and Maketa is hugely appreciative to the schools that have allowed their scholars time off to play.
"The schools have worked very closely with us to make players available, but we are conscious of the fact that school comes first.
"We are working around the schools and with them in terms of giving the players the exposure that they need.
"There are some players that have missed too much school so they will be unavailable for us in this tournament as they need to pass their matric," the head coach commented.
The CSA Emerging team will play seven matches in the One-Day Cup starting at home at the TUKS Oval in Pretoria on Sunday.