Proteas captain Temba Bavuma has guaranteed South African cricket fans that new heroes will be born in their three-match ODI series against the West Indies.
The Proteas take the field at Buffalo Park on Thursday at 1pm in the first ODI against the islanders under the guidance of new coach Rob Walter for the first time.
But it’s not there where the firsts will stop, with Bavuma saying there will be some players making their ODI debuts in the first two matches against the tourists in “Buffalo City”.
Let's get the Betway ODI series going 🏏
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) March 16, 2023
⌚️13:00
🏟️ Buffalo Park, East London
🗒 Ball by ball https://t.co/KNz7vLG39F
📺 SuperSport Grandstand 201 and SABC 3#SAvWI #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/1I5jWgP9Kh
Bavuma explains: “It is a fresh start for the ODI team. It’s the first time guys are really interacting with Rob face to face.
“The chats were just a continuation of the chats we had in the ODI series. As much as he wasn’t there, he was involved and interacting with the guys. It was a matter of just continuing with that same language - using the opportunity against the West Indies to refine the way we are playing and to keep growing from that point of view.
“In terms of the series itself, the priority will be to win and with that efforts to widen the pool.
“So we will be seeing some new faces coming in. And we would like to see where they can fit in with our plans going forward.”
Those words will be music to the ears of uncapped players such as Tony de Zorzi, Gerald Coetzee (who both made their Test debuts against the Windies earlier in the tour) and Ryan Rickelton.
Rookies Bjorn Fortuin (with three caps to his name) and Lizaad Williams (with one) are also expected to make the cut.
Meanwhile, allrounder Marco Jansen was yesterday called up to the squad, with Wayne Parnell on the road to recovery after falling ill, Andile Phehlukhwayo suffering from lower back spasms and Sisanda Magala having cut the webbing between his fingers.
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za