Coach Shukri Conrad says any changes in the Proteas’ final buildup to the T20 World Cup will be driven by the need to manage player workload rather than uncertainty over roles.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s third T20I against India in Dharamsala, Conrad played down the significance of rotation, with the global showpiece in India and Sri Lanka less than two months away.
“It might look as if we’re unsure given the amount of changes we’ve made, but it’s certainly not changes for the sake of it,” he said. “We have a pretty good idea of what our World Cup squad will look like. It’s really just about managing players.”
Conrad pointed to the congested calendar as a key factor.
“There are a few guys who’ve been here since the Test series, and then we’ve also got the SA20 coming up. So, it’s about managing workloads, giving everyone a good run and seeing what works and what doesn’t. But we’re pretty clear in terms of what we want.”
The SA20 starts on Boxing Day and finishes on 25 January. The T20 World Cup takes place from 7 February to 8 March.
Asked about where T20I captain Aiden Markram would slot into the batting order long-term, Conrad said: “ I think Aiden’s pretty flexible. I think we know who the one opening bat is definitely. He’s a left-hander [Quinton de Kock].
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“And then obviously we’ll just see how we pair that up. Aiden’s done a great job. I think last year he had a wonderful IPL opening the batting. He’s also batted at No 3 and 4 in previous World Cups. But I don’t think you’ll see him bat lower than No 3 if I were to give anything away.”
Sunday’s third T20I takes place in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala which sits at an altitude of 1,457m, making for decidedly difficult conditions, including bitterly cold temperatures and the possibility of dew in the day-night encounter.
“We don’t have a specific strategy,” Conrad said. “We try to sum up conditions as quickly as we can – the atmosphere, the pitch – and our batters are experienced enough to work it out.”
He expects runs on a surface that has already delivered big scores.
“It looks a really good wicket. I spoke to the groundsman and he says it’s an excellent pitch, and the scores suggest that. At altitude, on a good wicket, we’re expecting a lot of runs.”
Temperatures could dip to five or six degrees, but Conrad is unfazed.
“I was up early enough this morning to experience the cold,” he said. “But it’s all part of touring and taking in the experience. We’re not too fussed about when we play – we’re just thrilled to be here.”
Dew, however, remains a factor.
“We did a lot of work before the series, bowling with a slightly wet ball during the ODIs,” said Conrad. “The hard work’s been done.”
After De Kock’s 46-ball 90 powered South Africa to a 51-run win in the second T20 to level the series, Conrad believes confidence is high but cautions against chasing numbers.
“Sometimes you come to a high-scoring ground and think you need a certain mark and get yourself into trouble,” he said. “We’ll adjust our game to whatever conditions we get.”
South Africa were bowled out for 74 in the opening T20I to crash to a heavy 101-run defeat, before turning tables in the second encounter in Chandigarh.
Photo: BCCI
