Cricket

South Africa's white-ball coach Rob Walter has acknowledged the team's recent struggles in bilateral T20I series, but emphasized the importance of balancing the need to field the best XI with exposing younger players to top-level competition.In the recently concluded series against India, South Africa's bowling attack, which lacked the experience of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, and Tabraiz Shamsi, conceded over 200 runs three times in four matches. Walter explained that this was a consequence of trying to deepen the player pool."To grow the net of players, there's times we have to play younger guys even in big series against good teams. And ultimately, that's where they're going to learn the most," Walter said.However, Walter acknowledged that the team's performance was not acceptable. "It's really a balancing act and there's no right or wrong. We're trying to get it right, we're trying to get rest right, we're trying to get rotation right, we're trying to get exposure right all at the same time. But it doesn't excuse the performance. We still need to be better and that starts with me as the head coach of the team."Walter also highlighted the discrepancy between South Africa's bilateral form and their success in major tournaments, such as the T20 World Cup. "The easy answer is that when we go to the world tournaments, we're picking our very best 15 players but we can't pick those same 15 players every single time we play. It's just not feasible. It's just too much cricket."Walter recognized the depth of India's squad, which allowed them to field a strong team even in the absence of key players. "Their fringe players are stepping up and creating pressure on the guys that are in main XI," he said.Walter also addressed the issue of players opting out of central contracts to play in franchise leagues. "A guy like Anrich, I certainly wouldn't doubt his want to play for South Africa and his commitment to do that. But he made a decision personally around contracting so that he could move away from playing Test cricket for a while. I think physically he was finding it a bit tough to do everything and I respect that," Walter said."At the end of the day, when it comes to the world tournaments, we want to pick our best side. And if he is one of those best players, we consider him. Shammo has done exactly the same thing. We need to be cognisant of what's happening in world cricket. It's not easy and the national side is competing with franchise cricket. The money lies in franchise cricket, not international cricket. That's the reality that we live in."Walter concluded by emphasizing the ongoing balancing act between fielding the best team and developing younger players. "And so, again, the balancing act continues."

South Africa's uncertainty over Quinton de Kock's international availability continues, with the star batter omitted from another T20I series. De Kock, who has not announced a complete retirement from international cricket, missed the recent T20s against West Indies and will not feature in the upcoming matches against Ireland.White-ball coach Rob Walter expressed uncertainty about de Kock's future with the national team. "I don't know, to be dead honest," Walter said. "For the next little while, there will be no conversations between myself and Quinny as to whether he wants to play for South Africa again."De Kock's absence has prompted South Africa to invest in other players, including Reeza Hendricks as an opener and Kyle Verreynne, Ryan Rickelton, and Heinrich Klaasen as wicketkeepers. However, Klaasen is currently unavailable due to personal reasons.Walter emphasized that de Kock's place in the team is not guaranteed, even if he expresses a desire to return. "There might be a conversation and also that conversation does initially mean it will lead to him being selected," Walter said. "We have to just allow him to have his space, to play league cricket and to do what he needs to do. What will become more and more important is performance."De Kock's decision to prioritize league cricket over international commitments has sparked a debate about the balance between franchise and national team obligations. South Africa's decision to allow de Kock to miss a bilateral series in the lead-up to the 2024 T20 World Cup was seen as a significant shift in their selection policy.Despite the uncertainty surrounding de Kock's future, South Africa remains focused on preparing for the 2026 T20 World Cup. They will play four T20Is at home against India in November as part of their preparations.

South Africa's hopes of retaining Quinton de Kock for white-ball cricket remain alive, as the national white-ball coach, Rob Walter, expressed optimism that the star batter may not have played his last T20I. De Kock, who retired from Tests in 2021 and ODIs at last year's World Cup, was expected to end his T20I career at the recent World Cup in West Indies and USA. However, Walter believes there may be more to come from the enigmatic player."Quinny's an enigma. He hasn't officially called time. So we have that little glimmer of hope that sits in the background," Walter said. "Quinny has very high standards for himself and has dreamed about a World Cup win for a very long time. Has had a number of knocks along the way, not least this last final, You would have seen that he was very emotional with it. Whether we see him again, time will tell."Walter has not yet discussed the matter with de Kock, but South Africa's next T20Is are not until August, and de Kock is not on the national contract list, meaning he is not obligated to be available for those games. However, his availability for future tournaments remains a possibility."I've had no conversations with him. It wasn't the right time after the final to have that conversation," Walter said. "So let me leave it at saying your guess is as good as mine."Meanwhile, David Miller has confirmed his continued availability for South Africa in T20Is, putting an end to speculation about his retirement. Miller's decision is significant, as it suggests he may also continue playing ODIs, which could be crucial for South Africa's preparations for the 2027 home World Cup.Walter identified the team's improved ability to stay in the game under pressure as the biggest improvement in his time in charge. "We've progressed, no doubt about that. This last World Cup, the team won small moments which in the past, potentially, haven't gone our way. There was huge resilience, we showed a large skill set and we encountered very different conditions from the start in New York to the back end of the competition so it showed great versatility as well. For me, the team is ever-growing. We've made strides, but by no means the finished article."South Africa's director of cricket, Enoch Nkwe, hailed the team's successive T20 World Cup finals appearances as a "massive mindset shift." "Reaching two finals in a short period of time goes to show the buy-in, not only from the two teams, but also from a system point of view. There's been quite a lot of work that's been done and builds towards this moment. We're heading in the right direction."

Anrich Nortje's return to form is imminent, according to South Africa's white-ball coach Rob Walter. Despite underwhelming figures since his comeback from a six-month injury layoff, Walter remains confident in the fast bowler's abilities.Nortje's absence from September 2023 to March 2024, which included the ODI World Cup and South Africa's home summer, was due to a stress fracture. Since his return, he has played 11 T20 matches, claiming nine wickets at an economy rate of 11.22.Walter acknowledges the challenging conditions Nortje has faced, including facing a formidable West Indies side. He believes that these experiences will ultimately benefit the bowler. "He's not very far away," Walter said. "A world-class performer finds a way."Nortje's selection for the T20 World Cup squad over Lungi Ngidi, who has impressed in recent matches, was based on his raw pace. Walter emphasizes that Nortje's primary role is to "strike, break the game open, and then close it up."South Africa will also rely on Ottneil Baartman for slower-ball variations. Baartman, who made his debut against West Indies, has shown promise and is expected to play a significant role.Tabraiz Shamsi, who missed the West Indies series due to injury, has returned to training. However, South Africa's official warm-up match has been canceled due to logistical reasons.Despite the lack of a warm-up game, Walter believes that the team has had sufficient match practice. Three South Africans participated in the IPL final, while another was part of the Eliminator. South Africa will now focus on intra-squad scenario training before their first match against Sri Lanka on June 3.