Inexperienced Proteas are ‘as well prepared as we’re ever going to be’ for New Zealand Test

Tony de Zorzi of South Africa drops a catch during the second Test against India at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on 4 January 2024. De Zorzi was one of the players who chose to play in the SA20 over touring New Zealand. (Photo: Shaun Roy / Gallo Images)

By Keanan Hemmonsbey

4 Feb 2024

New Zealand have never beaten South Africa in a Test series. The inexperienced Proteas are determined to keep it that way.

South Africa’s two-match Test tour of New Zealand will be played against the backdrop of the Proteas selecting a largely second-choice squad. The reason is well documented as players with SA20 contracts are obligated to fulfil their commitments to South Africa’s new T20 league ahead of the national team.

It’s a peculiar predicament but one the country has little control over considering the importance, particularly financially, of the SA20 league to Cricket South Africa.

The West Indies’ historic eight-run away victory over Australia last week, as well as England’s 28-run win over India on the same day, has reaffirmed the value of Test cricket.

The revered idiosyncrasies of the longest format of the sport can still be a wonderful spectacle and the outcomes of those two matches led to a call to protect Test cricket. Ironically, they come at a time when South Africa are seemingly devaluing Tests.

It’s not the first time the SA20 has affected the national team. In 2023, South Africa elected to forgo a One Day International series against Australia and in turn sacrificed then much-needed World Cup Super League points in order to have the best players available for the inaugural season of the SA20.

Read more in Daily Maverick: SA20 season two has already raised the bar in star quality

South Africa were 11th on the World Cup Super League table at the time and were out of the top-eight automatic qualification spots.

The Proteas eventually beat the Netherlands and then world champions England at home in a few series to seal their spot at the World Cup. They went on to reach the semifinals of the 50-over tournament in India, and the opening season of the SA20 was a roaring success.

Proteas Neil Brand bats for the Titans against the North West Dragons at the JP Marks Oval in Potchefstroom on 21 December 2023. (Photo: Lee Warren / Gallo Images)

It all worked out in the end. That is Cricket South Africa’s hope with the decision to send a depleted Test squad to New Zealand. The short-term national team sacrifice pays off in the long-term triumph for both their moneymaker in the SA20 as well as the Proteas.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Proteas Test tour to New Zealand an opportunity for fringe players to prove their mettle

Given Test cricket’s rich history, the national protest against the squad selection, which features seven potential debutants, is understandable.

The Black Caps have never beaten South Africa in a Test series. Kane Williamson and his men will rarely have a better opportunity to rewrite that history.

Good preparation

Proactive steps were taken to avoid sending a group of strangers to New Zealand to compete under the Proteas badge.

South Africa A played a three-match unofficial Test series against West Indies A in November and December 2023. That A squad, except for Tony de Zorzi – who was a late addition to Durban’s Super Giants squad in the SA20 – is exactly the same as the side about to take on New Zealand.

The side also arrived in the Land of the Long White Cloud nearly two weeks before the start of the first Test on Sunday, 4 February, acclimatising as well as playing a three-day warm-up match.

“We’ve really prepared well,” said red-ball coach Shukri Conrad. “You sit as a coach and sometimes you feel maybe we still need to do this or that, but I’m really comfortable with where the guys are at.

“I’m really happy. I’m not just saying this because it is the right thing to say or it’s something people might want to hear. I’m really happy with where we are as a unit.

“Where I sit as the head coach, we are as well prepared as we’re ever going to be.”

And there is some recent precedent to add to the Proteas’ confidence in a squad with eight uncapped players.

Shamar Joseph, Kavem Hodge and Kevin Sinclair, who were all instrumental in overcoming the Aussies and securing the West Indies’ first victory in that country in 27 years, were all part of the West Indies A side that SA A beat 2-1 at the end of 2023.

“It gives us a little bit of confidence knowing that the bulk of those guys that beat Australia were on the self-same A tour when we played them a couple of months ago,” Conrad said.

South Africa coach Shukri Conrad is discernibly elated during the post-match press conference on day three of the first Test against India at SuperSport Park in Centurion on 28 December 2023. (Photo: Sydney Seshibedi / Gallo Images)

A new leader

Despite the handful of players with Test caps in the Proteas squad in New Zealand, Conrad has given the captaincy reins to the uncapped Titans all-rounder, Neil Brand.

The left-arm orthodox spinner and opening batter will become the 35th cricketer to captain their country on Test debut.

“This tour has been spoken about a lot in the media,” Brand said.

“People have written us off, but we are still wearing the Proteas badge. We are desperate to come back with something.”

Brand has been the opening partner of former Test captain Dean Elgar for the past few seasons at the Titans.

Although Temba Bavuma will likely return to captain the side later this year, Elgar’s retirement after the recent two-match series against India means there’s a long-term spot available at the top of the order for Brand.

Read more in Daily Maverick: ODI cricket in embattled fight for relevance outside of the Cricket World Cup

“Deep down I do see it like that but there are a lot of good openers around the country at the moment,” Brand said.

“Eddie Moore will also be desperate to stake a claim for the Test side. But this is the ultimate for me. Test cricket is the ultimate.”

Brand and Western Province’s Moore are the likely openers, though neither has faced a ball in international cricket before.

However, in the middle order there is some experience.

Zubayr Hamza, Keegan Petersen and Khaya Zondo have 23 Test matches between them, and David Bedingham played in South Africa’s recent series against India.

All four batters have also represented the country in the past two years.

Proteas Tony de Zorzi of South Africa drops a catch during the second Test against India at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on 4 January 2024. De Zorzi was one of the players who chose to play in the SA20 over touring New Zealand. (Photo: Shaun Roy / Gallo Images)

On the bowling front, the caps are a lot more scarce, even though Duanne Oliver is the most capped Test player in the squad with 15 appearances. The Danes Paterson and Piedt have both played for South Africa, but their last taste of international cricket was in 2020 and 2019 respectively.

Seasoned domestic campaigners Tshepo Moreki and Shaun von Berg are untested at this level, and the two young bowling all-rounders Ruan de Swardt and Mihlali Mpongwana are wet behind the ears.

The inexperienced Proteas side face an uphill battle to conquer New Zealand, who were the World Test Championship winners in 2021, at home.

Heading into the daunting challenge, Conrad said his team are inspired by the recent performances of South African sports sides on the international stage.

“We watched a little bit and [we’re] thrilled for the West Indies but I spent a lot more time getting inspiration out of the [Proteas] women beating Australia for the first time and then watching Bafana Bafana get through to the last 16 [at Afcon],” he said. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R29.

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