Naming the Proteas Test squad for the tour to Australia ahead of two rounds of first-class cricket was a strange call from Cricket South Africa.
The three-match Test series will be the first assignment for interim Test coach Malibongwe Maketa.
Maketa might have wanted to see if there were some in-form players who could be added to the squad.
A few injuries has seen the Proteas recall Theunis de Bruyn but his current form doesn’t suggest that he will be a great deal of help to the team in their quest to go beyond 400 more regularly.
On form, it appears more likely that De Bruyn won’t make the XI given that both Heinrich Klaasen and Kyle Verreynne recently put up double tons.
A massive triple century from Western Province batter Tony de Zorzi should have grabbed the selectors’ attention, but the former Titans man won’t get to make the trip unless there is a late injury withdrawal and he is the chosen replacement.
De Zorzi also got a big hundred in the match against Boland not too long ago.
#4DaySeries@WP_Blitz batter Tony de Zorzi becomes the holder of the highest individual first-class score at Six Gun Grill Newlands in history - 3⃣0⃣4⃣*#BePartOfIt #SummerOfCricket pic.twitter.com/qqpTANHVgQ
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) November 25, 2022
Ryan Rickelton also misses out on a place in the touring squad but he has responded well, notching a pair of hundreds a week apart.
Some players have backed up their selection, like veteran spinner Simon Harmer, who is still among the wickets in the first class game which is impressive for a spinner at this stage of the season.
In these rounds of action, Proteas Test squad rookie Gerland Coetzee has had to toil away on pitches that gave him little to work with.
Should he get his chance in Australia, there should be something in it for him, but he will need s boost in confidence before any Test debut could take place.
With Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada on the trip, he looks unlikely to play, but Coetzee will have to be ready to step up when called upon.
With a lot of action having filled the weeks since the squad was announced, some might ask if it might not have been better to have a look before naming the Proteas squad for the tour to Australia.
