Proteas coach hopes youngsters learnt from Virat, Rohit

THE last time the Proteas faced India in an ODI prior to the recently-completed three-match series, they boasted a middle-order consisting of Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller.

- ZAAHIER ADAMS, [e-mail]

Fast-forward two years to the series decider in Vizag, and it was only Markram that remains - and that is only due to Tony de Zorzi’s hamstring injury. That is a collective loss of 309 ODI’s worth of experience. The replacements Matthew Breetzke (12) and Dewald Brevis (9) have a sum of 21 caps.

Klaasen has since retired from all forms of international cricket and both Van der Dussen and Miller will be 38 by the time the home World Cup arrives in 2027.

It would be a fair judgement to assume that neither will be there. This leaves coach Shukri Conrad with precious little time to get the likes of Breetzke, Brevis and De Zorzi (22 caps), when he returns from injury, up to speed.