South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter remains optimistic about the Proteas’ prospects in the next Champions Trophy, scheduled for February-March 2025.
His comments came after South Africa’s 3-0 home ODI defeat against Pakistan.
“I know they are going to shine when it comes to these world events, these landmark events. Guys tend to introduce themselves. They tend to bring their best cricket,” Walter said. “We saw that in two consecutive World Cups.”
While acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead, he emphasized the differences in preparing for the Champions Trophy in relation to the World Cup.
“Preparing for the Champions Trophy will be nothing like preparing for the World Cup. This is the reality of the way the schedule is organized. But at the end of the day, I trust the quality of our players. The format change may pose some challenges, but these guys have over-50 cricket experience. I believe we will be ready when the time comes,” he said.
Reflecting on setbacks, including injuries and limitations in team selection, Walter admitted that his options for the prestigious event remain limited.
“As a batting unit, we talk about someone who takes pride in coming in and scoring a hundred, and to be fair, we just haven’t been able to convert anything into really substantial strikes or partnerships in this series,” he said.
“Part of this is due to batting errors and part is due to the quality of the opposition’s bowling. It’s something we need to recognize and address.”
The 49-year-old also appeared to back Tony de Zorzi as Temba Bavuma’s opening partner, although Ryan Rickelton remains another option.
“If you look at Tony de Zorzi’s knock today (at Wanderers, where he scored 26), he was batting beautifully and then he got a rough ball that took him out. , and what conversations do you have? I just want him to keep playing the way he was because he was putting our noses in front up until that point,” Walter said.
“These things happen and ultimately I think it’s important to know that the players themselves want to be better. trust that conversion will begin to happen, hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Looking ahead, Walter is turning his focus to the upcoming Test series, where the Proteas aim to secure their place in the World Test Championship final.
“As a Proteas family, we will focus on these Test matches and reach the final of the World Test Championship. Then, obviously, all the lads will be involved in SA20, which will be highly competitive cricket, albeit in a different format. ” he said.
“I am optimistic that when the time comes, we will work together,” he concluded.
