The Proteas have been in quarantine and training in small groups since arriving in Colombo last week, and allrounder Dwaine Pretorius said the team are preparing as best as they can in a tough bubble environment and unfamiliar conditions ahead of the start of their six-match limited-overs series against Sri Lanka.
The Proteas arrived in the island nation on Thursday for a three-match ODI and three-match T20 series. The action will get under way on Thursday with the first of the three ODIs at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
“Unfortunately the weather did not play ball today, so we had an indoor session. It was very humid but it was a good first session in Sri Lanka and I am sure the guys enjoyed it,” said Pretorius. “Obviously it is a bit tough having smaller groups with the quarantine and Covid-19, but we are dealing with it and hopefully we can get back to training as a team as soon as possible.
“The wicket will probably be slow and the outfield looks like it won’t be as fast as in SA. I think spin and a change of pace will play a massive role in the ODIs and T20s.”
Before jetting out of the country, the Proteas set up a mini-camp at Pretorius’s new home in Potchefstroom, where he will play for North West Cricket in the upcoming season, and the 32-year-old said the team could not have asked for a better venue to prepare for slow and turning subcontinent conditions.
“We were fortunate to train and prepare in Potchefstroom, my new home ground. It is a lot like Sri Lanka, well we thought it would be, quite slow and a turning wicket.”
It’s super exciting. It has been a long time for me being away. It almost feels as if it has been years but it has only been a few months. I’m fortunate and happy to be back.
— Dwaine Pretorius
While the South Africans know that spin will be the order of the day during the series, Pretorius said run-scoring will be something that the Proteas will have to be well-prepared for if they are to post and chase intimidating targets.
“I don’t think there will be a lot of swing out there and I think with good cricket shots and hitting the space we should be OK. Their outfields are normally quite big, not your Wanderers or a SuperSport Park that’s a bit smaller. So your areas that you might be looking to score might differ.
“Instead of going for six, you might hit it on the ground hard and hit spaces and only at the back end try to capitalise. It’s a bit of a change in terms of the game plans and probably 200 here will win you the match, but it does not get scored that much.
“So we will probably targetting scores of 150 or 160.”
Pretorius is back in the team for the first time since February, after he was sidelined first by injury and later by Covid-19, and he can’t wait to get going.
“It’s super exciting. It has been a long time for me being away. It almost feels as if it has been years but it has only been a few months. I’m fortunate and happy to be back.”
Pretorius and company will be looking to put the off-field turmoil that has engulfed Cricket SA over the past week behind them. The Proteas left the country with a dark cloud over the head of embattled coach Mark Boucher, who is at the centre of allegations of racism, and without assistant coach Enoch Nkwe, who quit the team citing a toxic working environment. But the team have no choice to put all these things behind them, more so because the series serves as the Proteas’ last competitive action before the T20 World Cup in October and November in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
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