Stand-in captain Heinrich Klaasen said there was a hunger to get back to winning ways as the Proteas begin their multi-format tour with three T20 internationals against Pakistan, starting on Tuesday.
The Proteas white-ball side will be without regular captain Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj as they are rested and prepare for the ODI and Test series against Pakistan.
Though SA have only won two of their last 10 T20s, the relatively inexperienced Proteas T20 outfit, all of whom have been capped at international level, would not be without fire and fight, Klaasen said.
Premier fast bowler Anrich Nortje returns to the national side alongside Titans leg spinner Tabraiz Shamsi and Western Province all-rounder George Linde.
The squad began preparations with a two-day camp at the Centre of Excellence in Pretoria from December 6-8, before heading to Durban.
The first match will take place at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium on Tuesday followed by back-to-back games at SuperSport Park, Centurion, and the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, respectively.
Speaking at a prematch media conference, Klaasen said: “We have played a lot of cricket here [in Durban], so the boys know what to expect and we are ready to go.
“Playing here quite a bit, you get a better understanding of what to expect from the surface and overhead conditions.
“In prior years, Durban was never a happy hunting ground for me, but in the last two years with Durban’s Super Giants, it has been a fantastic ground for me, it is nice to play at a venue more often because then you can formulate some plans on how to go about [putting in a match-winning performance].”
With the quick turnaround between the Sri Lanka Test series and the Pakistan tour, Klaasen said regular changes in the top teams had become a norm across the modern era of the game.
“That is just the way the world of cricket works, you saw India play a T20 series against us, and then a whole new team played in the first Test against Australia a week later.
“It gives a lot of opportunities to other guys and gives you a chance to see the depth you have.
“There are a lot of names in our Test side that will be first choice in this team, but they also need a rest because Test cricket takes a lot out of you.
“The opportunities received are all guys who deserve to be here because it is a long December ahead with a lot more cricket to come over the next four or five months, so the break is very important.”
Proteas T20 squad to face Pakistan: Heinrich Klaasen (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Andile Simelane and Rassie van der Dussen.
SA vs Pakistan T20 fixtures:
Tuesday: Durban at 6pm
Friday: Centurion at 6pm
Saturday: Johannesburg at 6pm
HeraldLIVE
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