Proteas and Cape Cobras batsman Kyle Verreynne enjoyed a low-key, but successful debut series against Australia before COVID-19 brought cricket grinding to a halt.
Verreynne has the potential to be one of the most valuable Proteas players across all three formats, but he hasn’t generated as much buzz as other prospects. That could count in Verreynne’s favour though as he makes the step up to international cricket without the added weight of being billed as a future superstar.
The player himself appears to be patient and willing to learn, saying that he was pleased to be in the squad for the series against England even if he didn’t get a game.
“A lot of people may see me being part of the England series and not getting a game as being a disappointment, but I think it was probably one of the best things that could have happened,” Verreynne said reflecting on the summer.
“Just because you get to experience a team culture. I got a chance to interact with all the players and sort of experience what being part of an international setup was like and also train with the guys and you sort of understand the level of intensity that is required at that level. That opportunity meant that when I did play against Australia, I felt a lot more prepared.”
It might be unfair to try to label a young cricketer learning the game, but to date, Verreynne has shown himself to be an adept middle-order accumulator with a knack for keeping the scoreboard ticking.
These skills are prized in white-ball cricket, but if Verreynne can develop his match awareness, he could use them to force his way into the Test XI.
Aside from his promising displays against Australia, Verreynne enjoyed a domestic season with highlights across multiple formats including winning the Mzansi Super League with the Paarl Rocks and scoring two centuries in a Four-day series match against the Titans.
“For me, red-ball cricket is enjoyable, and one of my ultimate goals is to play Test cricket, so to be able to put in a performance like that, scoring two centuries in one four-day game was something that I was proud of,” the batsman commented.
“Going on to win the MSL with the Paarl Rocks team was special. Obviously from not originally being drafted to any team in the MSL to then coming in as a replacement for Aiden Markram and then playing all tournament with the Paarl Rocks, I felt quite good contributing to the win.
“I think my international debut in Paarl against Australia was so far, the highlight my career. It’s something that you dream of, and you think about so much growing up and to finally get there means a lot to me and doing reasonably well, it was really special.”
He might not be getting all the hype, but Verreynne appears to have impressed the right people and is well placed for a good run in the green and gold.
