A three-year absence in which he suffered a mental breakdown because he wasn’t being picked for the Proteas ended for George Linde on Wednesday when he was recalled to the Proteas side for next week’s three T20 Internationals against Pakistan.
Linde had lost all trust in Cricket SA’s selection policy when he was omitted from the squads for the T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022, describing the reasons he’d been given in 2021 as “a joke”.
He last played for the national team in an ODI against Sri Lanka in September 2021. He turned down a call-up for a subsequent Test to New Zealand in February 2022, citing his difficulty at living in “bio bubbles”, a decision which seemed to affect further involvement with the Proteas.
Linde said previously he struggled mentally for more than a year before rekindling a love for the game while playing for English County Kent. Subsequent good seasons for Western Province have led to increased calls for him to be considered nationally again.
Rob Walter said on Tuesday what had happened with Linde previously had nothing to do with him and he was only interested in the 33-year-old’s skill set.
“He has the attributes we needed, given the balance of the side,” said the Proteas limited-overs coach.
By George, Linde finds the door reopened to Proteas career
Image: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
A three-year absence in which he suffered a mental breakdown because he wasn’t being picked for the Proteas ended for George Linde on Wednesday when he was recalled to the Proteas side for next week’s three T20 Internationals against Pakistan.
Linde had lost all trust in Cricket SA’s selection policy when he was omitted from the squads for the T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022, describing the reasons he’d been given in 2021 as “a joke”.
He last played for the national team in an ODI against Sri Lanka in September 2021. He turned down a call-up for a subsequent Test to New Zealand in February 2022, citing his difficulty at living in “bio bubbles”, a decision which seemed to affect further involvement with the Proteas.
Linde said previously he struggled mentally for more than a year before rekindling a love for the game while playing for English County Kent. Subsequent good seasons for Western Province have led to increased calls for him to be considered nationally again.
Rob Walter said on Tuesday what had happened with Linde previously had nothing to do with him and he was only interested in the 33-year-old’s skill set.
“He has the attributes we needed, given the balance of the side,” said the Proteas limited-overs coach.
“Normally the No 7 spot is filled by a seaming all-rounder, but with the absence and injuries of a few players we needed to look to a spinning all-rounder. George has stood out domestically this year. He’s got a solid record, he’s been playing well recently, especially that power game at the back end of the innings.”
Linde’s form with the bat has been exemplary for WP in the T20 and First Class formats. He recently notched up a career-best 152 in a four-day clash with the Warriors and is averaging 63.16 in that tournament.
In the T20 format he scored 171 runs at an impressive strike rate of 178.12, while his nine wickets came with an economy rate of 6.73. It’s a call-up that has been long in the offing and while the next T20 World Cup is still 14 months away — and the more pressing priority is next year’s Champions Trophy — if Linde can match his domestic output with form in the national shirt Walter will keep him in his plans.
Linde has stated the communication from Walter and Test counterpart Shukri Conrad is vastly improved from what was in place when he last played for the Proteas.
That is one of the reasons the door was never shut on Anrich Nortjé, who earlier this year opted out of accepting a national contract but was still picked for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. Nortje is back in the Proteas squad for the Pakistan series, with Walter saying that depending on form he will also be considered for the Champions Trophy next February.
“We want to take our best team to the Champions Trophy and injuries aside, Anrich’s name features in the conversation about our best squad.”
The Proteas limited overs coach is not concerned about Nortje’s playing time, which in recent months has been restricted to T20s and lately the T10 competition in Abu Dhabi. “He has a lot of experience. It's not necessary for him to play lots of 50-over cricket [to justify selection for the Champions Trophy]. I’m not worried about match time for him, he understands his game.”
Walter’s selection for the Pakistan series was made harder by its timing. The first match in Durban next Tuesday starts one day after the Test between Sri Lanka and South Africa ends in Gqeberha. That meant T20 skipper Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada were not available.
Nortje and Shamsi recalled to Proteas for series with Pakistan
Instead, Heinrich Klaasen will captain the side while Kwena Maphaka, Ryan Rickelton and Matthew Breetzke — all part of the Test squad — will only have their availability determined depending on what role they will be required to play at St George’s Park.
Walter faced heavy criticism after his side lost a T20 series to India 3-1 last month. That result came on the back of a poor year for the Proteas in bilateral white-ball series that has seen the team win just two of 12 T20 internationals, outside the World Cup.
“When the side has been at full strength in the past, the results have been good. In the world of international cricket you don’t get to field your best team all the time,” said Walter.
He remains clear about what he wants the team to achieve: “T20 will always experience the highest turnover of players, we see that throughout the world. It’s up to our experienced players to step up in the big games as we bring these guys who are on the periphery in to play and gain some international experience.”
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