With the T20I series in India now complete, the Proteas preparation for the World Cup is all but over.
All that remains between now and their opening fixture against Canada on the 9th February is the SA20 and a handful of games against the West Indies. The time for tweaking and experimenting is almost over. Coach Shukri Conrad has said his aim for the Proteas is to see them into the final, but the way his charges have been playing he may be overshooting – in all they have lost nine of their 13 T20I games in 2025.
Of course we would all love to see the Proteas go one better than they did in the USA and Caribbean last time out, when they lost in the final to India. If that is to happen and they are to claim their first ever major white-ball trophy, then there are plenty of questions and issues that need to be resolved. Let’s take a quick look at what needs to be decided.
1. Who should open the batting?
At the start of the year Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram were the preferred duo at the top of the order. At that stage Quinton de Kock was out of the mix due to retirement while veteran Reeza Hendricks looked to be done. Lhuan-dre Pretorius who announced his arrival during SA20 2025 was the new face on the scene. But a lot has happened in the space of a year. Rickelton’s returns have diminished, QdK has returned to the mix and Hendricks has shown he has staying power. Skipper Aiden Markram is a useful cricketer, but he has not benefitted from moving up and down the order on an almost match-by-match basis.
The current preference for many international sides is to have a power-hitting keeper at the top of the order and as much as Rickelton has looked good in that role for MICT, at international level De Kock simply has to be the first choice. He is a better keeper and his numbers on the international stage are good – especially in India.
So, who opens with him? Markram could be the guy, but equally he good be used at three – they need to decide though and give him a chance to bed in and make the spot his own. If Markram bats at three then perhaps there is one more World Cup in the tank for Hendricks, with the power of Pretorius as backup.
2. Where is Brevis best utilized?
There is so much excitement around Dewald Brevis, and he is undoubtedly a very fine cricketer. He must be part of the team. The big question is where to bat him. Number four has a good look about it as it affords him enough time to get stuck in and make an impact. At this stage he is not a finisher (like David Miller), he is a game-changer and that is something probably best done from four. Yes, he could bat at three or at five, but traditionally a team’s best batsman comes in at four, and if Brevis is deemed to be that man for the Proteas, then four is where he must be given time to settle.
3. Go with the new or stick with the old?
The Proteas’ T20 side is in an interesting place. There are a number of old-guard players who have served the team well for many years – guys like David Miller, Reeza Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj and Anrich Nortje have all been stalwart performers for the Proteas in the white-ball game. While they are nearing the ends of their careers there are plenty of outstanding young talents coming through – think Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Donny Ferreira, Brevis, Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs. There simply isn’t space in the team for everyone. A good team has balance – the selectors need to recognize that Miller of 2026 is not going to be quite as good as the Miller of 2020, in the same way that the Pretorius of 2026 won’t be as good as the Pretorius of 2030. So does Conrad trust in the proven performers who did the work previously or does he look to give his rising army of stars the chance to establish a new dynasty.
4. Which of the many allrounders are going to be backed?
All-rounders are key in providing balance and options in T20I cricket and in the last year the Proteas of made use of a host of these players. There are the power-hitting spin options offered by George Linde and Ferreira. The quicker options that come from Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch or the utility of Wiaan Mulder and Lutho Sipamla. At this point, if one thing is certain it is that Jansen must be in the team. His batting has improved significantly, and he has been a menace with the ball across all formats. If there is one player in the Proteas mix who is feared by the Indians (and others) it is Jansen.
5. Getting the bowling attack right
South Africa have always had an outstanding stockpile of fast-bowling weapons and as we head towards the latest World Cup the cupboard is once again far from bare. Lungi Ngidi has shown himself, once again, to be an outstanding performer in the shortest version of the game. He ended the series against India as the Proteas’ leading wicket-taker and his variations are a constant menace. Not only was he the Proteas leading wicket-taker, but the wickets that he claimed were nearly always key Indian ones. Kagiso Rabada will almost certainly play which means the first-choice bowling line-up should feature Ngidi, Jansen and Rabada – but who will join them? Other names that need to be considered include Ottneil Baartman, Nandré Burger, Anrich Nortjé, Keshav Maharaj and Gerald Coetzee. That is some serious talent that needs to be factored in – and sadly, not everyone will make it.
Here’s our pick for the final 15 player squad:
Aiden Markram (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, George Linde, Donny Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tony de Zorzi, Ottneil Baartman.
