Walter backs Brevis to add ‘firepower’ to Proteas middle order

With the promising young batter having knocked on the door for some time, Proteas limited overs coach Rob Walter hopes Dewald Brevis will add some explosive power to the national team’s middle order after being given an opportunity as they prepare for a home tour against Australia.

Brevis earned his maiden call-ups on Monday to both Proteas white-ball squads for three T20I matches and five ODI games against the tourists starting at the end of this month.

“It’s nice to be able to give him an opportunity. He is one of our up-and-coming youngsters,” Walter said.

“We’ve said we wanted to broaden our base a bit, and this Aussie series is the perfect opportunity to give him a run.

“For us, for now, he’s going to be in the middle order. He plays spin very well… and we also wanted to add a little bit of firepower to the depth phase of our batting, so we see him filling that role.”

Bright future

The 20-year-old player is already breaking domestic records and has been compared to local icon AB de Villiers.

After shining on the SA A team’s tour of Sri Lanka in June, Brevis looks set to embark on what could be a glittering top-flight international career.

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“He’s a fairly grounded young guy, so for me it’s just about creating an environment for him to express himself,” Walter said.

“You can expect a young guy like him to knock his head a couple of times as he manages his way through international cricket.

“So I’m just looking forward to giving him an opportunity and a platform to express himself and show what he’s capable of. He’s already had experience in a number of different leagues, he’s rubbed shoulders with a lot of top professionals in the game, so he’s like a sponge really and I think he’s just excited to get on the park.”