THE dynamics within the Proteas Test and limited-overs squads are slowly changing.
The recent retirements of household names including Quinton de Kock and Dean Elgar have driven this change.
Budding youngsters are taking up places in the men’s senior teams, with Tony de Zorzi having taken over from Elgar in Test cricket and Ryan Rickelton from De Kock in the limited-overs squad.
A more interesting driving force behind the change in personnel is the top performances that younger cricketers have showcased in domestic cricket and the handful of opportunities presented to them at international level.
Patrick Kruger, an all-rounder who has displayed great potential in the Warriors side in Gqeberha, looks to be the all-round option limited-overs coach Rob Walter will lean towards in the future, particularly for the number seven batting position that has been vacant for several years.
On the other hand, there is young sensation Kwena Maphaka who has shown great qualities as an out-and-out fast bowler on debut during the recent tour of the Caribbean.
The 18-year-old has given Walter – and to an extent, even Test coach Shukri Conrad – something to think about as an option going forward.
After all, Maphaka bowls in the high 140km/h range, and has great control for both Test cricket and the shorter formats.
Given that he is one of only two left-arm quicks with express pace in the set-up, alongside Nandre Burger, he becomes a viable option for Walter and Conrad.
To an extent, Maphaka is challenging for a spot in the main squads not only as a replacement option when the coaches see a need to replace a senior bowler for a tour or two.
“We’ve identified Maphaka as one of our quicker bowlers,” Test bowling coach Piet Botha revealed.
“First of all, having that pace at such a young age is very impressive, and to see him having the confidence to bounce the best players in the world was awesome, and he swings the ball as a left-armer already,” he added.
While Maphaka, Kruger and others continue to make a strong case for spots in the national teams, other senior players’ positions in the main squads are starting to look quivery.
Beyond that, this competition for spots is shaping the Proteas squads to be even stronger.
With Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Burger and now Maphaka in the picture, the fast bowling stocks look scary for the opposition and even more so considering that there is still Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi in the system.
Botha, an avid fan of the art of fast bowling, is excited to see what the future holds for the Proteas fast bowling options.
Most importantly, the 57-year-old is pleased to see that the South African culture of fast bowling is well and truly alive with the rise of Jansen, Coetzee, Burger and Maphaka alongside the established Rabada.
“South African cricket has a culture of producing good young fast bowlers and Maphaka’s now a part of that young group with the likes of Coetzee, Jansen and Burger. Maphaka falls into that category,” said Botha.
“It’s also unique in SA cricket that we’ve got three left-arm quicks (including Jansen). It’s very exciting for our fast bowling culture that we’ve got such a young group and that Maphaka’s part of it,” he added.
Maphaka’s game looks as complete as it can get for an 18-year-old matriculant.
However, Botha wants to see the youngster shape himself into a seasoned professional and the only way he can do that is by gathering experience out in the middle.
“The great thing about Kwena is that in terms of quality, he’s got that already. It’s just about picking up experience and playing against the best batters in the world,” he said.
“The fortunate thing for him is that he’s in a professional environment at a young age. Some cricketers his age might not get exposure to professional experts in terms of conditioning, diet and mental approach.
“Because he’s playing around the world already, he’ll come across a lot of coaches, a lot of conditions, and that’s ideal for him.
“The big thing is to manage himself in a professional manner, to understand himself as quickly as possible, and also while he’s young he’s going to be open-minded to learn.”