The Proteas’ road to their Barbados redemption begins just 290km away in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago tonight (9pm start, SA time).
It was only six weeks ago that the Proteas came closer than ever to lifting the T20 World Cup trophy when they went down by seven agonising runs to India in the final at the Kensington Oval.
But now back at the Brian Lara Stadium, where they rolled Afghanistan to win their first World Cup semi-final, they will press the restart button and begin the process from ground zero again.
And that’s the reason a three-match T20 series may seem meaningless to some, but is of great consequence to Proteas white-ball coach Rob Walter.
“We’re only 18 months away from the 2026 World Cup in India in 2026, and we’ve got nine series between now and then,” Walter told the media ahead of the series opener.
“That leaves us with between 32 and 36 fixtures before that World Cup comes around, so giving guys international opportunities against quality sides is important.
“Not every one of our players is a ‘marquee’ name playing in the domestic leagues, so we have to use these games against quality opposition to grow the base of our squad.”
A large component of the starting XI that featured in the T20 World Cup final are not in Tarouba.
Walter has opted to rest stalwarts such as Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and David Miller, while all-rounder Marco Jansen is currently on a reconditioning programme.
Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee is also on the sidelines after recently picking up a side strain playing for Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket in the US.
It has provided Walter the opportunity to cast his net wider in a bid to grow the depth of his squad, with the inclusion of the uncapped all-rounder Jason Smith and teenage fast-bowling sensation Kwena Maphaka, along with a host of relatively inexperienced players.
Present and Future!✨
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) August 22, 2024
Up and coming cricket star, Kwena Maphaka had his first training session with the Proteas team ahead of their 1st T20i against West Indies tomorrow!🏏🇿🇦#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt#SAvWI pic.twitter.com/W9RAZIgNIP
This group of Proteas players, in particular, will still be smarting after being wiped 3-0 by the Windies prior to the T20 World Cup, and will want to show against a powerfully-assembled home team that they are indeed the players Walter can move forward with.
“For me, these games are massive. Does it create ‘freedom’ for the guys to play? I don’t know, but when you pull on the green and gold, you have a responsibility to represent your country, and I know there is a very strong desire to perform and do well.
“I don’t think the players see a series like this as any less important than any other,” Walter said.
“The franchise leagues around the world and fixture congestion can be a challenge, but it can also be a positive for us in that we have a broader base of players who are playing competitive cricket.”
In the absence of Jansen, Walter has placed great emphasis on growing his all-rounder stocks, with Smith battling it out with Wiaan Mulder, Patrick Kruger and Donovan Ferreira for a place in the starting XI.
“There’s no secret that we need to increase our all-rounder stocks ... it makes such a difference in balancing teams. We’ve made selections based on domestic performances, and now it’s a case of seeing whether that translates into international cricket,” Walter said.
“It’s exciting to see Jason come into the Proteas fold and Wiaan, too, who is actually still a very young cricketer who has followed a familiar path where they start strong, the opposition figure them out, their game is challenged and then, if they are able to make that improvement, they become much better cricketers.
“I believe Wiaan is on that trajectory now, which is great to see, and we have Pat Kruger and Donovan Ferreira on this tour, too.”
Proteas T20I Squad
Aiden Markram (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Nandre Burger, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
West Indies T20I Squad
Rovman Powell (captain), Roston Chase, Alick Athanaze, Johnson Charles, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Fabian Allen, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.