Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince has reiterated the importance of getting game time in the SA20 for the Proteas World Cup players, especially those returning from injury, including Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and David Miller.
On paper, the Proteas T20 World Cup squad is filled with seasoned professionals, with Aiden Markram set to lead the side in his second ICC event after steering the team to the final in the previous edition of the showpiece.
However, a deeper dive into the squad reveals that several key players are set to head into the World Cup with little to no recent international game time.
Fast bowlers Rabada and Kwena Maphaka missed the Proteas T20I series in India due to injuries, while Nortje and Miller only returned during that series.
At least three of the aforementioned players are likely to be starters at the T20 World Cup next month, with Rabada expected to lead the bowling attack alongside Nortje, and Miller remaining the most experienced batter and player in the team.
Prince emphasised the importance of these players getting game time and shaking off any rust during the ongoing fourth season of the SA20.
“I think, obviously, with the T20 World Cup coming shortly after the SA20, you look at it from a CSA perspective and from a Proteas camp perspective, and you want most of the guys who have been selected for the World Cup squad to get some good game time,” Prince told Independent Media.
“One or two who are coming back from injury need to get through the rustiness of returning and get some game time under the belt ahead of the World Cup. And then, obviously, you want most of the guys to gain some form before we leave.”
Prince, prior to taking up the commentary microphone during the SA20, recently returned from what was a successful Proteas tour of the subcontinent, where they played all three formats in Pakistan and India between October and December.
The Proteas went on to win three out of four Tests, a feat Prince highlighted as a standout moment for the team.
“The highlight of the subcontinent tours of Pakistan and India, I think most definitely for me, was winning three out of four Test matches on the subcontinent,” Prince said.
“I think when we went to the World Test Championship Final in June, there were a lot of people around the world and across the cricketing landscape who were questioning our journey to the Test Championship Final and whether we deserved to be there or not.
“A lot of that criticism, if you follow social media, came from the subcontinent, saying, ‘you never played against this team, you never played against that team, you never played away from home’.
“So, to be able to go on subcontinent tours in India and Pakistan and come home with three out of four Test match victories – that is certainly the highlight for me.”
