South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad admits the current T20I series in New Zealand sits in an awkward spot on the calendar and, with so many first-choice names missing, he understands why people question its importance. Yet he maintains the five-match contest has handed priceless minutes to players on the fringes of the national set-up.
“It’s been an exciting series. Whether it is fully-fledged international cricket, I think the jury is out on that and many people will have their opinions on it,” Conrad said on the eve of tonight’s decider in Dunedin. “But as soon as you pull on that Proteas jumper, and I’m sure the same for the Kiwis, you represent your country and you’ve got to try and make them proud.”
Only three members of South Africa’s recent T20 World Cup squad – Keshav Maharaj, George Linde and Jason Smith – made this trip. New Zealand were stronger early on, fielding eight World Cup players including usual captain Mitchell Santner, but their group has also thinned out as the IPL and PSL start dates loom.
Those leagues get going on 26 and 28 March respectively, a clash that was always likely to deprive both sides of marquee talent. “It was always a tough one coming after a World Cup,” Conrad acknowledged. “It was never about the exit in the World Cup, but a lot of people would be questioning the value of the series and why you would have it. I think we all did at some stage.”
Against that backdrop, the Proteas have blooded several newcomers. Twenty-two-year-old opener Connor Esterhuizen cracked a measured half-century in game four, while off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen, on debut, picked up 2 for 13 to defend 164 and square the series. Seamer Nqobani Mokoena, who has spoken openly about wanting to become the world’s best death bowler, has three wickets in as many outings and is conceding fewer than seven an over – tidy work by T20 standards.
“When you look at some of the younger guys, again, that have become household names in SA20, as soon as you expose them to international cricket, that there’s still a gap and there’s still a pressure and a scrutiny that they would never have experienced before,” Conrad said. “So I think on that front, it’s been an invaluable exercise to see guys like Connor Esterhuizen, and [Nqobani] Mokoena step up, [Prenelan] Subrayen on debut, like I said, and deliver the goods.”
The coach believes domestic success, even in the high-profile SA20, cannot fully mimic the heat of an international arena. Here, every minor error is poured over, every triumph magnified. That scrutiny, he argues, is the true preparation for a player’s long-term international prospects.
From New Zealand’s angle, caretaker skipper Tim Seifert has juggled a similarly fresh-looking XI, offering game time to young quicks and fringe batters. Though the Black Caps would prefer facing a full-strength Proteas line-up, the hosts do view the series as vital rehearsal ahead of their own winter tours.
Conrad, meanwhile, remains realistic. Winning a low-profile series will not erase memories of South Africa’s World Cup exit, nor will it guarantee contracts come IPL auction time. It will, however, give selectors additional data before the next packed season and provide vital reassurance that the pathway beyond the regular starters is beginning to widen.
As for the immediate task, the coach kept things simple. “The brief to the boys is no different to what it would be in a so-called bigger series,” he said after training under heavy skies. Pull on the Proteas jumper, play what’s in front of you, and learn a bit more about yourself under pressure.
With that, South Africa’s second string faces New Zealand’s mix-and-match outfit for a trophy that may not carry huge global weight. Yet for Esterhuizen, Mokoena, Subrayen and their peers, tonight could still be the night they say, quietly but firmly, that they belong.
