South Africa’s new way — this time for the Test format — will be built around the endeavour of youth who, despite their inexperience, have taken some hard knocks on the journey into the Proteas squad.
Marco Jansen (22), Gerald Coetzee (22) and Tony de Zorzi (25) represent part of that future. Jansen’s impact since making his international debut last season has been profound.
However, what makes De Zorzi and Coetzee’s entrance different is that this is a new era for the Test side, one in which the new head coach Shukri Conrad and the new captain Temba Bavuma are preaching a positive style, with the aggressive and thus progressive avenue the route to take.
“I said that we wanted to play that way when we faced England in the ODI series, although at the time I couldn’t articulate it and I suppose it’s the same now. The real articulation is what happens on the field,” said Bavuma.
Coetzee and De Zorzi will be responsible for forging that new way moving forward. “They are exciting talents for the future of South Africa, they are guys who will be here for a couple of years,” said Bavuma.
De Zorzi’s has been on a roller-coaster journey. From being South Africa’s under-19 captain in 2016 — leading the team that was defending that title — his professional career at the Titans took a while to get going. Initially boxed as a white-ball player, he caught Brian Lara’s attention with a century in a T20 tournament for the Northerns Titans in the United Arab Emirates.
He found the transition to first-class play hard and suffered with the extra scrutiny that follows the small number of black batters in this country. He has gradually ramped up his output over the last few seasons, especially since making the move from Tshwane to Cape Town.
This year De Zorzi has a triple century to his name for Western Province, and that steady progress has drawn Conrad’s attention. “I see him as a future captain,” the coach said.
It’s unlikely De Zorzi will get a chance against the West Indies. For all of his recent struggles at the top of the order, Dean Elgar’s experience is something Bavuma will still want to lean on, especially as he rekindles his opening partnership with Aiden Markram.
Perhaps some of Markram’s recent good form in the SA20 can rub off on his Titans teammate at the duo’s home ground from Tuesday.
Coetzee, Conrad hinted, may make his debut in the first Test as part of a nasty pace attack that the West Indies — even with the resilient Kraigg Brathwaite — will find difficult to keep at bay.
The intensity that we and Australia played with, stood out for me
— Gerald Coetzee
Coetzee has been earmarked since he was 14 as a future Protea, first coming to the attention of then national U-19 coach Lawrence Mahatlane. He was part of the SA U-19 side at the 2018 World Cup, earning recognition in the team.
After touring Australia as part of the Proteas squad, he used the SA20 tournament to show off his talent, finishing as the third highest wicket-taker.
“To have done well there is something I’m proud of and humbled by. It’s given me a lot of confidence. But Test cricket and T20 cricket is like chalk and cheese, I’ll use that confidence, but this is very different.”
That much was clear to Coetzee as he watched the Proteas struggle against Australia Down Under this summer. “The intensity that we and Australia played with stood out for me. They were clinical in their own conditions,” he said.
“As much as I learnt from our own players and our own culture, which was very beneficial, it was also very good to see how efficient they were, with a pace bowling attack that is world-class.”
Injuries have blighted his career, with the responsibility of leading the Free State attack adding to the physical toll. It hasn’t been an easy season for Free State, and it is to Coetzee’s credit that he has managed to stand apart at a union which is destined to spend next season in Division 2.
Proteas Test squad:
Temba Bavuma (capt), Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortjé, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada and Ryan Rickelton.
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