TOP 10 U-22 South African Cricketers who are good SA20 rookie options.
Rookie options
With the second season of the SA20 coming with a couple of changes or rather new regulations, itpromises to be an even more exciting tournament. The first season was met with a lot of talk andskepticism and that had some merit when looking at the history which I will not be talking about today. A lot of questions were asked, and a lot of things said but that did not stop the tournament from happening and being a success.The second season is fast approaching, and a few new regulations have been announced. These are:
1. The salary cap has been increased by R5.1 million which then takes it to R39.1 million.
2. Squad sizes will also increase to 19 with a minimum of 11 players being South African.
3. TEAMS WILL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN A ROOKIE PLAYER; AN UNDER 22 SOUTH AFRICAN
PLAYER THAT IS YET TO FEATURE IN THE TOURNAMENT.
By now you are probably wondering why I wrote number 3 in capital letters, right? When the tournament structure was announced, I was one of the few people who were concerned about what the tournament meant for the future of South African cricket. There was no rookie rule, and this left me and a few other South African cricket lovers very worried. We have all seen the number of youngsters that have come through the IPL for India, and we have seen how they seem to have benefitted from the IPL somehow. We also wanted this for the next generation of Proteas. For them to train and rub shoulders with the best. This is exactly what this tournament will do for them. Yes, they might not get to play a lot of matches, if any, but they will benefit from being around some of the biggest players around. It will be exciting to see which U-22 players the teams will go for. As someone who follows a fair amount of South African cricket at junior level, I have decided to make a list of top 10 players I think might be good buys for the team.
This list will be based solely on players that I have seen over the last couple of years. Picking a rookie player is more about talent and potential more than anything else and that is why this rule will benefit South African cricket. Young talented cricketers with potential will be nurtured in a very competitive and professional set up. Some might not even be in any domestic set up yet so this will benefit them immensely.
This list is in no particular order.
1.Kwena Maphaka – This will probably be the first name that a lot of the teams will be considering. Asyoung as he is, Kwena’s bowling abilities, talent and skills speak nothing of his age. The left arm seamer who bowls with a bit of pace, has a really good bouncer and a few tricks in his bag, which is perfect for T20 cricket. I would say Kwena is one player, if signed, who would easily go as far as playing a few games.
2.Ronan Hermann – Recently graduated from U-19 cricket and has a rookie contract with the Lions. Hehas also played a few games for them as well. Ronana is one of the most exciting batters in thecountry at the moment. Him also being a wicket keeper could also come in handy. Ronan performedwell against the 2nd division sides in that T20 tournament the SA U-19 side won. Ronan finished thetournament as the 5th leading run scorer with a decent strike rate of just over 120.
3.Meeka-eel Prince – Another former SA u-19 Top order batter, who also keeps wickets. Instrumentalin the U-19's T20 campaign against the 2nd division sides. He finished the tournament as the leadingrun scorer with a strike rate of 129.
4.George van Heerden – The captain of that SA U19 side, George was also instrumental as captain anda batter in the side. He finished as the 6th leading run scorer for the tournament and his knock of 75(48) in the final against Northern Cape was an indication of what the young man can do. A fantastic knock in a final while chasing.
5.Liam Alder – Leading wicket taker in the same tournament, Liam played a massive role with the ball, taking wickets and drying up the runs. Liam can also hit a long one which makes him a bit of a utility player.
6.Matthew Boast – 2nd leading run scorer and 2nd leading wicket taker in the very same tournament, the fast-bowling allrounder not only bowls fast but hits the ball a long way. He also played a big role in setting the SA u19 up for victory.
7.Modise Maloka – Stylish left-handed batter who bats aggressively. Modise did not have a great cubs week but is someone with a lot of talent and potential.
8.Christiaan du Toit – Another batter who has tormented bowlers. Hard hitting batter who hits the ball cleanly and offers a bit with the ball.
9.Gysbert Wege – Probably the hardest name to pronounce on this list, Gysbert is up there with the most exciting batters in the country and anyone who has seen him bat can attest to this. He plays all-round the wicket and has a game slightly similar to that of AB de Villiers.
10.Reuben du Toit – one of the players I have been following since being introduced to them. Reuben isa naturally aggressive top order batter. He can hurt you really badly at the top of the order.
11.Steve Stolk – I know the list is supposed to be 10 names, but this name cannot be left out. Young Steve Stolk has a game similar to Dewald Brevis and hits the ball just as hard as Brevis. He hits long and hard, also can bowl as well. With the little I have seen of him; he has the potential to damage your bowling attack.
Special mentions, Sipho Potsane and Esa Gangat, two quality left arm spinners, Divan Engelbrecht, Ntando Zuma, Lhuandre Pretorius, Thebe Gazide, David Teeger and Tristan Luus. With all the talent that South Africa has, narrowing the list down to ten was very difficult. I may haveleft out many quality players who could even be the ones getting contracts. The list includes only players that I have seen, and I am certain the players I have seen don’t even make up 50% of the country’s talent pool. It will be interesting to see which U-22 players actually get picked up.