Return of Quinton de Kock ‘a breath of fresh air’ as fringe Proteas start T20Is

Proteas coach Shukri Conrad says he wants his team to focus their energy on winning their T20 series against Pakistan and not think too much about spots for the shortest format World Cup in four months.

Conrad wants his squad to take their Test series momentum into their opening T20 international of three at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday (5pm).

The Proteas’ T20 squad is made up of fringe players and missing a long list of experienced performers, who are being rested ahead of a two-match Test series against India next month. That provides a chance for some players to put their names forward for a place at the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Conrad warned his team against looking that far ahead.

“Obviously there might be guys feeling this presents them with an opportunity to find a spot on that flight to the T20 World Cup,” he said. “But we try to steer away from that.

“I mean, there’s also that reality. It might be a dress rehearsal for some, it might be a trial for others. They might feel it. We obviously try not to create that sort of situation.

“It’s a different group of players entirely. We’ve only really kept [Dewald] Brevis, Tony [De Zorzi] and Corbin [Bosch] behind, if memory serves.

“For the Test side, the guys that are playing in this format as well have gone home to freshen up for the Indian challenge.”

It will be the first time South Africa take centre stage at the venue in the shorter format, which has only hosted eight T20Is.

The match will be another tough challenge in terms of conditions, Conrad said, despite the Proteas having beaten the same opposition less than a week ago in the second Test in Rawalpindi to tie the series.

Conrad said the Proteas can also rely on intel from former players and experience from some who have played in the T20 Pakistan Premier League.

“There’s always the challenge of conditions being different. We [the South African limited overs combination] come off tours in Australia and England, which are akin to what we know back home,” Conrad said on Monday morning.

“The good thing is we’ve got so many players or staff who have been around playing in either leagues here or coaching in set-ups where the subcontinent has taken them to. There are obviously a few adjustments, but there’s definitely enough intel in terms of what’s required and how we strategise the plans we put in place.

“Coming to Pakistan and the subcontinent, whatever format, is tough. They obviously know their conditions really well, but we’ve also had guys who have played in the PSL and played here before. And we’ve also got access to former players who have played here. So we can tap into that as well.

“It’s a long and tough tour; not only the conditions. I don’t think people quite appreciate what the Test side has done. You come here and all you ever see are armoured vehicles to and from the ground and stay in a hotel all day. Next time people rant and rave, they might just have to take some of that into account as well as how tough a tour it can be.

“But we are really chuffed and thrilled that we’ve got some fresh faces, some fresh energies. Not to suggest the energies were flagging in the previous group, but there’s huge excitement in the group about this T20 series.

“And obviously on everybody’s lips is Quinton de Kock. He’s a breath of fresh air on his own without picking up a bat. So yeah, thrilled to have Quinton around as well.”