Proteas coach Mandla Mashimbyi remains undecided on who will occupy the crucial No. 3 position in the ICC T20 World Cup opener against Australia in Manchester on Saturday.
Since Sune Luus’ promotion to open the batting with captain Laura Wolvaardt, the Proteas have trialled a number of options without much success.
The premier contenders are the experienced duo of Tazmin Brits and Dané van Niekerk, although Mashimbyi has also utilised Annerie Dercksen at first drop. Brits and Van Niekerk have done themselves no favours with paltry returns in recent matches, while Dercksen may be a better option lower down the order.
After sharing the new ball for over a decade, Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail reunite as ‘Cherry & Berry’ to reflect on their journey and the pursuit of World Cup glory. 🇿🇦🏆
Mashimbyi claims he is not losing any sleep over it but is still mulling over his options.
“We cannot play a match without a No. 3. We’ll definitely have somebody batting at No. 3,” he said.
“The thing is, we are blessed, man. We’re sitting with so many options within the squad, and it’s not something I stress about.
“So in terms of No. 3, it’s about what we want and what type of brand we want that No. 3 to play, and then, based on that, we’ll make the right call.”
He also stated that the decision would ultimately be based upon which batter is best suited for the conditions at Old Trafford.
“I think we just want to look at a couple of things in terms of what type of players will have an impact based on the conditions that we’re going to find in Manchester,” he said.
“I think that will play a big role in us getting the team that we want, because we want the right horses for the course. And that will be us giving ourselves the best chance to win.”
Mashimbyi has roped in an old friend, former Titans batter Johann Myburgh, to assist the Proteas during their T20 World Cup campaign.
File Photo: Former Titans batter Johann Myburgh.
Myburgh played alongside Mashimbyi at Centurion before moving to New Zealand and then England, where he forged a successful English County Championship career.
The 45-year-old has since become the coach of the Surrey Women’s team, leading Mashimbyi to believe he could be a valuable addition to the Proteas’ coaching staff.
“I thought that I needed somebody with experience locally and somebody that understands our culture in South Africa as well, in terms of how we want to go about things and how we do things.
“There were a couple of candidates, but I think Johann—just for the fact that he coaches the women’s team, and he plays in all these fields, and he kind of understands the conditions—he would be the best bet for us.
“And I know him. I’ve played against him, I’ve played with him. So I didn’t want to get to know a coach when I got here. It just looked a bit easier for me to find somebody that I have known for a long time and I continuously speak to.”
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