Junior Proteas coach Malibongwe Maketa has sounded an early warning ahead of the ICC U19 World Cup, stressing that his side must urgently sharpen their fielding, batting, and bowling before their tournament opener against Afghanistan in Windhoek, Namibia, on January 16.

Maketa’s concerns came on the back of a bruising 3-0 Youth ODI series defeat to India, led by prodigious talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi, in what was SA’s final warm-up assignment before the global showpiece.

Played at Willowmoore Park, the series exposed key shortcomings and served as a sobering reality check for the young Proteas.

The final match on January 7 proved especially alarming, with SA’s bowlers and fielders struggling to contain the Indian batting onslaught that piled up 393/7.

Openers Suryavanshi and Aaron George both struck commanding centuries, punishing loose deliveries and capitalising on lapses in the field to set up an imposing total.

Maketa conceded it was a tough learning curve for his squad, but believes the lessons can still be valuable if acted upon swiftly.

“With the bowling, we have to improve our control. We were put under pressure, and we just couldn’t find clear plans when we were in that moment. Those are the few areas we need to improve on,” said Maketa.

While gutted with the series loss, Maketa said they will tighten the basics, improve decision-making under pressure, and arrive in Windhoek battle-ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

“The guys have grown over the past 18 months. When we first started with this group, having to transition from school cricket to where they are now, it’s been a great improvement. Within that, we know we’ve got a lot of work to do, especially in the pressure moments.

SA ICC U19 World Cup round-robin fixtures (all matches will be played at the HP Oval in Windhoek).

• January 16: Afghanistan vs SA – 09:30
• January 19: SA vs Tanzania – 09:30
• January 22: West Indies vs SA – 09:30