Read more
A number of Proteas youngsters will get a chance to show what they can do on the big stage when they take on Zimbabwe in two-Tests.
Proteas youngster Kwena Maphaka will be in line for his second Test cap when the Proteas take on Zimbabwe in the first Test in Bulawayo from Saturday. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The Proteas’ two-Test series against Zimbabwe, starting with the first Test in Bulawayo on Sunday, is the perfect testing ground for some of this country’s most exciting up and coming youngsters to show what they can do.
There will be plenty of focus on especially Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius (both 19) and Dewald Brevis (22), who are three of South Africa’s most exciting cricketing talents.
If they are managed correctly over the next year or two they could have long and successful careers with the national team, in all three formats of the game.
Brevis is already a bit of a cautionary tale. He burst on to the scene at the U19 World Cup in 2022 and had huge expectations placed on him, which he battled to live up to. It also didn’t help that he was compared to AB de Villiers at every turn, and even called “Baby AB”.
And by playing largely T20 cricket at the start of his senior career, he struggled initially to make an impact, despite making his Proteas T20 debut in this time.
Fortunately, over the last season and a half Brevis has hit his stride and he appears to be finally turning into the cricketer everyone expected him to be and let’s hope the tour of Zimbabwe will allow him to turn the next page of his cricketing story.
Big expectations
Maphaka and Pretorius have also had big expectations placed on them, though not nearly on the scale of what Brevis experienced early on. in his senior career.
Young fast bowler Maphaka, who was brought into the Proteas system early on, has thrived, gaining valuable experience in all three formats and he’ll hope to now also kick on and become a regular in senior Proteas teams.
Big-hitting Pretorius made a name for himself in the SA20 earlier this year, while he’s also shown his tremendous potential in a few overseas T20 tournaments. But, crucially, the opening batter has also piled on runs in local domestic first class cricket, proving he is so much more than just a white-ball slugger.
It isn’t just the very young ones though who’ll be getting a chance against Zimbabwe, as Matthew Breetzke (26), Codi Yusuf (27), Lesego Senokwane (28) and Prenelan Subrayen (31) will also have an opportunity to make an impression.
Breetzke has been on the fringes of the Proteas team for a few years, and has played one Test, two ODIs and 10 T20s, and he will be desperate to make a big statement to further his case for a regular spot in the squad.
Yusuf, Senokwane and Subrayen have all impressed on the local front over the past couple of years and will hope to also get a look-in in the two matches in Bulawayo.
