Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince says South Africa’s batting unit will be encouraged to show intent in the upcoming ODI series against England, starting on 2 September.
South Africa arrive in England off the back of a 2-1 series win in Australia, where a number of batters made starts but none converted into centuries. For Prince, though, runs on the board matters more than a personal landmark.
“Maybe a little bit disappointing that nobody went on to score a hundred,” Prince admitted. “But to be honest, the focus is more on making an impact. We don’t necessarily want somebody who’s in the 70s and 80s to have just a hundred in the back of his mind and sort of nursing himself towards that.
“We want to try and encourage, particularly those guys in that phase of the innings, that if they fancy it, that they put their foot down. And sometimes they will go on to get a hundred. And if they don’t, if they bomb out, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
Prince explained that South Africa’s aggressive blueprint under head coach Shukri Conrad means players will be pushed to exploit opportunities, especially before the final power play.
“If you’re feeling good and you want to take it on, by all means, do so,” he said.
The philosophy filters down to individual players. Ryan Rickelton, who has battled for rhythm since returning from a break, has been urged to rediscover his natural aggression.
“Most of the communication is about trying to free people up,” Prince said. “Rickelton is naturally a positive player. But if anything, from Shuk’s point of view, he might want a little bit more aggression. Sometimes it can take time for people to settle into that mindset and style of play. But we do encourage that.”
The same applies to Tristan Stubbs, who has shown flashes of brilliance but has struggled for consistency. Prince believes a cluttered schedule across formats may have played a role in his dip.
“Sometimes you can get a little bit clouded in terms of your approach,” he said. “We’re trying to encourage him to be a little bit freer, to be a little bit more positive, to be the guy who kind of bursts onto the scene in terms of his style of play.”
With Matthew Breetzke in form and Tony de Zorzi knocking on the door, Prince says the competition for batting spots is healthy, but the message to all remains the same: play with clarity and intent.
“When we compare the two formats, when we have our meetings with the players, we try to illustrate that the 50-over game, there is still an element of batsmanship, a little bit more like Test-match type of batting,” Prince explained.
“We’re not saying we’re going old school style. But we do recognise that when you start your innings, you still have to apply yourself like it is a Test match, especially against two new balls, against proper bowling. And then when the opportunity presents itself, be encouraged to play freely and put your foot down.”