Legendary South Africa pacer Allan Donald has said that SA20 is a huge step in the right direction for South African cricket. The second season of South Africa’s franchise league is currently underway.
Donald defended SA20 amid criticism over South Africa sending an inexperienced side for their Test series against New Zealand. In an interaction with the press, arranged by SA20, Donald said the franchise tournament is helping red-ball cricket in South Africa.
“This is a huge step in the right direction for cricket in South Africa and where it should go in all formats. It is not just the white ball stuff, it is the red ball stuff as well. Having now come back into the South African first-class system, I am starting to see some big improvements,” said Donald.
He went on to say that the team that will be facing New Zealand will be representing South Africa and will be focused on playing good cricket. The decision to name an inexperienced squad sparked outcry in the cricketing fraternity, but Cricket South Africa stressed the importance of SA20 in maintaining their financial stability.
“I feel for those guys going to you know, they didn’t pick themselves. People say it’s a ‘B’ team. It’s a ‘C’ team, it doesn’t matter. They have to go to New Zealand and represent South Africa and I know that coach Shukri Conrad will do his utmost best to get them to get them rallied around playing good cricket,” Donald added.
Donald called for better scheduling in the future, adding that the New Zealand tour was the first warning shot for Cricket South Africa. Uncapped opening batter Neil Brand has been named the captain of the side which has a collective experience of 50 Tests. Notably, Brand might become only the second uncapped player to lead a Test team after New Zealand’s Lee Germon in 1995 in the last 50 years.
“It’s got to be a clearer calendar where there’s nothing in the way that there’s no major Test series or other stuff that gets in the way. So I think we’ve had our first warning shot of what potentially could happen and it has happened that, that we are sending a team over there that is not our best Test team,” said Donald.
South Africa Squad for NZ Test Series
Neil Brand (C), David Bedingham, Ruan de Swardt, Clyde Fortuin, Zubayr Hamza, Tshepo Moreki, Mihlali Mpongwana, Duanne Olivier, Dane Paterson, Kegan Petersen, Dane Piedt, Raynard van Tonder, Shaun von Berg, Khaya Zondo.
