Reeza Hendricks is a looking forward to welcoming back an experienced core of players when the Proteas take on India in a four-match T20 series, starting Friday.
Experienced middle-order batters David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen return to the international fold after missing the Proteas’ tour to the UAE, where they played Afghanistan and Ireland.
Fast bowlers Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee will also be back, and newcomers Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, and Andile Simelane will also have further opportunities to impress.
Hendricks told reporters: “We have a good mix in the squad. There are some new faces as well as some guys who have been around.
“We have picked a lot of fast bowlers. It is nice to welcome back some key names like Jansen and Gerald. So we are looking forward to it against India.
“It is important for the young guys to be exposed to this level over the next couple of days and weeks and if they get a chance I am sure they will be quite eager to get out there and showcase their skills.
“For the more experienced guys, it’s another opportunity for them to show what they are about in a big series against India.”
The Proteas fell agonisingly short of winning their first-ever World Cup trophy in June when they were beaten by India in the West Indies.
Rob Walter’s charges have, however, only won one of their last five T20Is since losing in the showpiece game in Barbados, including a 3-0 series defeat in West Indies and a 1-1 draw against Ireland in the UAE.
The Proteas did use those matches to blood new players with the likes of Miller, Klaasen, Jansen and Kagiso Rabada being given a rest.
Hendricks said: “We lost that game (World Cup final) and in a couple of series after that, we didn’t have most of the players (available) who played in that game.
“We obviously gave opportunities to some new players over the past couple of series. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the results that we wanted.
“But I think there are a lot of learnings we took out of those tours.”
