If conditions in Lahore and Karachi in Pakistan are anything like those experienced in the ongoing Tri-Series between Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand, batters are going to have a field day, according to Proteas coach Rob Walter.
SA limited-overs mentor Walter was speaking during a post-match conference after their six-wicket defeat to Pakistan in Karachi on Wednesday night, but didn’t look too displeased.
That mainly hinged on the fact that the Proteas played the series with seven players from the ICC Champions Trophy squad on the bench.
Walter said the players were unavailable, but still treated the series with the same merit as any other.
The South Africans amassed 352/5, with sizable contributions from Heinrich Klaasen (87), Matthew Breetzke (83) and captain Temba Bavuma (82).
But the hosts reached the target with an over to spare, thanks to hundreds by Salman Ali Agha (134) and skipper Mohammad Rizwan (122 not out).
“There’s a number of things we would have taken out of the game. It was certainly not a practice match. It was always our intention to compete and win... Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. But on the other hand, it has created opportunities for some young players,” he said.
“A large portion of our players were involved in the SA20. The playoffs were a little too close to the start of the competition for them to be available. Hence, we gave some other players an opportunity.”
One of the upsides to playing a younger side against Pakistan and the Black Caps was scouting the hungry talent eager to join the ranks.
One name shone brightest this series, Matthew Breetzke, who put up back-to-back performances with the bat.
Breetzke scored 150 against the Kiwis in his debut ODI against New Zealand this week, breaking a record held since 1978 by West Indian Desmond Haynes.
The 26-year-old followed it up with 83 off 84 balls (10x4, 1x6) against Pakistan on Wednesday, but made a costly mistake, which resulted in the loss of Temba Bavuma for 82 (96 balls, 13x4).
Breetzke didn’t only show composure and poise with the bat, but also proved that he’s quite a gritty young man that doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi tried to get in Breetzke’s head at the crease.
Afridi even pulled a cheap shot and moved into Breetzke’s path while he was crossing the pitch for a run. The pair got into each other’s faces, and eventually had to be pulled apart.
Matthew breetzke vs Shaheen Afridi 🍿💀#PAKvSA #Matthewbreetzke pic.twitter.com/HxkkiggNKz
— CricFreak69 (@Twi_Swastideep) February 12, 2025
With the ICC Champions Trophy set to kick-off next Wednesday, the Proteas have a week to rest, recover and recuperate with their selected team.
Walter believes the Proteas bowlers have their work cut out for them if they are to be effective on the sub-continent, but the batters, on the other hand, may just have a field day.
“Batters will certainly take a lot of heart from the performances they put in the past two games, and as a bowling unit, we are working to understand how to create more pressure and ultimately force batters to take risks,” he said.
“But as I said, both teams struggled to take wickets – it wasn’t just unique to us. So, the method (of taking wickets) moving forward is going to be important to us
“If the pitches are the same moving forward, then you can expect to see more scores of 350.
“As you saw, there wasn’t much seam movement, bounce and turn.
“Hence, there were only eight wickets taken by the bowlers. It’s a batter’s paradise, and certainly a challenge for the bowlers moving forward.”