Now that I’ve let off some steam, I do want to say that Victor Mpitsang had it spot on when he said that they were going to reap the rewards of casting the net wide at the Proteas.
Yes, I still maintain that there should have been more of a mentorship programme with the “old” players “giving back” to the younger generation and helping them adjust to the pressure of international cricket.
But, when announcing the Proteas squad for the West Indies and Ireland, Mpitsang said: “The team has been in a rebuilding phase for a while now but we are satisfied that the return on investment is going to show itself sooner rather than later.”
The return is showing in their depth – not necessarily the quality in the first team.
A look at the South Africa A team that was selected for their tour of Zimbabwe at the end of the month reveals some impressive stock.
So while results have not gone the way of coach Mark Boucher and his team, they have definitely created experienced depth in South African cricket – players that won’t disappoint if called up to the first team.
Led by Western Province’s Zubayr Hamza, the ODI squad includes the likes of Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Wiaan Lubbe, Theunis de Bruyn, Daryn Dupavillon and Lutho Sipamla… in the Proteas’ “second” team!