Former South African batsman Ashwell Prince believes the Proteas need time to get over the retirements of recent greats, like Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn.
Prince, who played 66 Tests for South Africa between 2002 and 2011, scoring 3665 runs, is currently heading Cricket South Africa’s spin bowling camp in Bengaluru, in preparation for the Proteas’ upcoming tour of India.
South Africa will play three Tests in India in October, their first assignment without the recently-retired Amla and Steyn.
Amla and Steyn announced their retirements within three days of each other, the former from all international cricket and the latter from Tests.
RETIRED: Hashim Amla announced his retirement from international cricket last month. Photo: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters.
"It’s a transition phase for South African cricket," Prince told the Deccan Chronicle. "I work in the first-class system and we have first-hand experience of the young guys who are coming through. Of course, you don’t become Amla and Steyn overnight.”
Prince is also overseeing preparations of the SA A-team. The team is in India and bracing for a five-match one-day series, followed by two four-day games, against India A. The experience will give the players a chance to acclimatise to the subcontinent’s spin-friendly surfaces.
"We have come here for young players to experience the conditions. What we try to do is to pass on our learnings," Prince said.
"But we have some local coaches helping us. Even the spin coach has years of experience – it’s basically to feed the young guys as much information as possible.
IN CAMP: Newcomer Zubayr Hamza. Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix.
"We are looking at both aspects, physical and mental, to play spin. It’s about being able to understand that a good spinner, on a surface providing spin, will go past the outside edge and beat your bat.”
South Africa's preparatory camp is being attended by national team batsmen Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram, as well as Cape Cobras batsmen Zubayr Hamza and off-spinner Dane Piedt.
The A-team kicks off its tour with the first List A game in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
All five matches will take place at the same venue before the teams head to Wayanad for the first four-day game.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSAnews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSAnewsCSA announce changes to South Africa A four-day squad https://t.co/gBfSnIFe8j pic.twitter.com/SWa6bgxAw9
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA)
The tour will conclude with the second four-dayer in Mysore.
The SA senior team will begin its tour of India on September 15, with the first T20I in Dharamsala. The three-match T20I series will be followed by three Tests.
African News Agency