SA20 serves up appetising talent menu for Proteas coach Walter to pick from

The second season of the SA20 provided Proteas’ limited overs coach Rob Walter with the kind of selection headaches he would have wanted as he begins a months-long process to filter down the squad he wants for the T20 World Cup later this year. 

Whether it be candidates for the top of the order, like Ryan Rickelton, Matthew Breetzke and Jordan Hermann; the rekindling of confidence for Tristan Stubbs and Wiaan Mulder; or the “death” bowling skills of Ottniel Baartman, Walter has plenty of options. 

“The big growth that I saw this season was the standard of the local talent,” SA20 League commissioner Graeme Smith said this week. 

“There’s a tier of players that have been bubbling under at domestic level for a long time, and we saw them really step up — seeing Ottniel Baartman and the way he performed was one of the highlights.” 

Baartman, who finished as the second highest wicket-taker with 18, behind Sunrisers Eastern Cape teammate Marco Jansen, who took 20, said most of the domestic players had used the inaugural tournament last year to get a feel for their new environment.

“You’re finding your feet in season one, but personally, season two for me has meant I’ve needed to step up,” said Baartman. He certainly did, combining brilliantly with Jansen and Englishman Dan Worrall to help the Sunrisers successfully defend their title. 

Before the tournament (DSG coach Lance Klusener) told me that I was going to play different roles, depending on the situation of the game, what the team may need at different times and that I needed to be as versatile as I can be and try to fill as many gaps as I can when I get the chance.

—  Wiaan Mulder

“It remains a dream to play for my country,” said Baartman, who has been called up a couple of times by the Proteas but missed opportunities to start because of injuries.

“Rob Walter told me that with good performances in the SA20 and the domestic league, I’m in with a shout. There is an understanding about what it will take for me to play at a higher level.”

Besides the need for a “death” bowling option, the other area of concern for Walter has been a genuine all-rounder capable of bowling a full ration with the ball, and who is able to bat anywhere in the order. Jansen had already showed his prowess at the ODI World Cup last year and seems to relish any opportunity he gets up the order, as was the case in Paarl when he made his highest score of the competition batting at No. 4. 

Given South Africa’s middle order resources are already strong with captain Aiden Markram, the magnificent Heinrich Klaasen, Stubbs and David Miller, having Jansen as an extra option provides valuable depth. 

Though he finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, Jansen occasionally falters mentally, as he did at the World Cup last year, and there were signs of that during the SA20, though thankfully not in the final where he took five wickets. Nevertheless it is an area that looks like it will need constant monitoring.

Mulder’s re-emergence has been a pleasant surprise, particularly in the way he was used by the Durban Super Giants. He batted at No. 3 and 4 in DSG’s first two matches, at No. 6 twice, at 7 three times and at No. 5 also on three occasions.

“Before the tournament [DSG coach Lance Klusener] told me that I was going to play different roles, depending on the situation of the game, what the team may need at different times and that I needed to be as versatile as I can be and try to fill as many gaps as I can when I get the chance.”

That kind of resourcefulness is always useful for any type of squad and given Mulder, who scored three half-centuries, also bowled well and is an impactful fielder, his resurgence is well worth Walter’s consideration, especially if Mulder can back it up in the CSA T20 Challenge — the provincial tournament scheduled for March and April. 

It will be similar for the Rickelton, Breetzke and Hermann, who were all superb in the SA20. Where Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks, who both had poor tournaments by their high standards, might have been considered obvious starters for a T20 World Cup, Rickelton, Breetzke and Hermann showed they can’t be ignored. 

What Walter would be justified in wanting to see from them, is more dominance in the T20 Challenge, given the quality of that competition isn’t as high as the SA20.