World Cup dream drives Breetzke to come back from Proteas cold

Proteas batter Matthew Breetzke knows there is plenty of work ahead if he is to secure a place in South Africa’s squad for the 2027 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup on home soil.

Breetzke has not played a professional match of any form in more than three months — a combination of opting not to return to Northamptonshire for the English T20 Blast this summer to rest and attend a family bereavement, and being left out of national team plans. The 27-year-old, however, remains determined to establish himself as a Proteas regular.

“With the ODI World Cup 18 months away, it is a big goal of mine to be in that squad, but there is a lot of work to be done until then,” he said.

“I want to keep building on those runs I’ve scored, and hopefully that helps me break into the other two formats and become more settled there.

“There are tough series coming up against Bangladesh, Australia and England, so it’s about putting in performances that get me there first and then building on that. If I can continue to show consistency over that period, the rest will take care of itself.”

Breetzke’s lengthy spell away from home has included stints with the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League, and he is now preparing to represent the Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket in the US.

The Warriors batter made his T20 international debut in 2023 before earning Test honours in Bangladesh in 2024 and an ODI debut the following year.

Though opportunities have been limited in the T20 and Test arenas, he has flourished in the 50-over format. Across 28 international innings in all formats, Breetzke has scored more than 700 runs, with his ODI records standing out.

In just 12 innings, he has amassed 708 runs at an average of 64.18 and a strike rate of almost 97. His memorable 150 on debut against New Zealand in Lahore last year, coupled with four half-centuries in his first five ODI innings, underlined his potential.

It has been a bit of an up-and-down journey for me, but it has been very special. I love playing for South Africa, and I take it very seriously

—  Matthew Breetzke

Earlier this year, Breetzke revealed his brush with the harsh realities of international cricket after being told by Cricket SA convener of selectors Patrick Moroney that his place in the national side had not yet been secured. However, the right-hander remains focused on improving every aspect of his game.

“It has been a bit of an up-and-down journey for me, but it has been very special. I love playing for South Africa, and I take it very seriously.

“I think my game is in a good space at the moment. I want to keep winning games for my team and be able to read conditions well.

“I want to be that guy who can play in any conditions and handle pressure situations.

“I’m always looking to improve with every training session, whether it’s playing spin, hitting sixes against spin or finding new ways to score at the back end of an innings.”

The Herald