CENTURION, South Africa, CMC – West Indies will hope to salvage something from the tour of South Africa when they face the hosts in the opening Twenty20 International of the three-match series here Saturday.
The Caribbean side was swept aside 2-0 in the two-Test series and drew the three-match One-Day International 1-1 after the opening game was rained off.
Rovman Powell, the newly appointed T20I skipper, said the squad was “in a good space” and was optimistic of a positive result in the series.
“I think we are very, very prepared. The guys are in a perfect space,” Powell told media here Friday ahead of the contest at Supersport Park.
“We have a training session today, and we have spent some time over the last few days just trying to get things right, so from that standpoint, the guys are in a perfect space.”
He continued: “Everyone in the squad is available for selection and raring to go. As a selection group, we will meet today and tomorrow to finalize the final XI or the final 13 we will use for this game, but everyone is available and ready to go.”
Several players featured in the ODI series have made the crossover to the T20 side, including all-rounders Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder, batsmen Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks, and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, all part of the squad.
Mayers, Holder, and Joseph were also members of the Test squad, and Powell said their knowledge of conditions would be critical, especially for those players only in South Africa for the T20 phase of the tour.
“Guys that have been on the whole tour, it is important for them to feed us with information – guys who haven’t been on the whole tour,” Powell explained.
“It’s now for us, the guys who have been here for the shorter period, just to adjust and adjust fast. It’s good that the conditions here aren’t much different from the Caribbean – the wickets are generally good for cricket. Hopefully, we can bring our skills to all three games.”
West Indies have had mixed results against the Proteas in recent years, losing their last series in the Caribbean 3-2 but winning 2-1 in a three-match series here eight years ago.
South Africa, led by new captain Aiden Markram, will boast the likes of big-hitting left-handers Quinton de Kock and David Miller, along with the dangerous pace trio of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Lungi Ngidi.
And Powell said West Indies were fine-tuning their plans as they looked to stop South Africa’s juggernaut.
“Guys are now developing plans for different players,” Powell said.
“I can’t sit here and say what the exact plans are, but, as a team, we have to prepare, and I think over the last few days, we have done some good preparation.”
The game bowls off at 2 pm (8 am Eastern Caribbean time)
SQUADS:
SOUTH AFRICA – Aaiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.
WEST INDIES – Rovman Powell (captain), Kyle Mayers, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith.
and then 