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Proteas must reevaluate top four options in T20 cricket

The Proteas would be well served to re-examine how they approach the top four of their batting order in T20s.

Quinton de Kock of the Proteas - ICC Men's T20 World Cup
Image Copyright - Steve Haag Sports

Proteas must reevaluate top four options in T20 cricket.

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The Proteas would be well served to re-examine how they approach the top four of their batting order in T20s.

In world cricket at the moment, the trend is towards loading the top four or three with big-hitters in the mould of typical white-ball openers.

This means we see teams with three or four batsmen who might be considered openers.

When the Proteas are successful in T20I cricket, it is often because Quinton de Kock is able to get them off to a flying start, but it can sometimes be a struggle for him to maintain the kind of tempo that the likes of England and India can achieve.

The Proteas have not been able to blood the likes of Sarel Erwee or Ryan Rickelton in that top four, as both are opening bats who cannot get a look in with Janneman Malan, Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks about.

Erwee and Rickelton have shown themselves to have the skills to control an innings in T20I cricket and, importantly, are batsmen who have the power to clear the rope often.

South Africa have also often fielded Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen in the same team, which can lead to stymied momentum as neither man is really capable of muscling the ball to the fence.

Another untapped resource for the top four is someone like Cameron Delport, who has extensive T20I experience especially in the UAE, and he is a man who can take on the spinners who are now operating far more often in the powerplay.

The Proteas experimented with a power player in Wihan Lubbe, but he didn’t appear on the pace in international cricket, despite being a top performer in recent domestic T20 cricket.

Lubbe and Pite van Biljon’s failures may have turned the team management off the brutish style of batsmen, but they must keep pace with the top teams.

The Proteas must try to unearth quality hitters to load their top order and give them a shot at major honours.

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