Kyle Verreynne

Do not know much of him - but I think he was at one stage in the under 19 squad.  A very good batsman and keeper.   Ashville Prince is bananas though - De Kock is at present in the shortened version of the game the best wicket=keeper batsman in the world- why bugger around with him as to his batting and keeping position.

Now back to Verreynne - I believe we are a batsman short in the WC line-up - the fact is the batsmen are De Kock, Markram, Du Plessis, Van der Dussen. Miller and Duminy.   So who should be the extra batsman?   The fact is that Amla has negatives and the unfortunate illness of his father removed him from all games where he could get over his negatives as both a batsman and fielder,  The next guy was supposed to be Hendricks - but I never regarded him as an international level batsman.  His recent showing borders on the ridiculous,

So where can we find another batsman - based on his actual performances with the bat and he can stand in for De Kock as keeper should it be needed - I would go with Verreynne as the remaining batsman.  

The rest of the squad seems to be rather clear - Pretorius  all-rounder and Rabana, Ngidi, Nortje, Steyn and Tahir.  It seems that Shamsi are favoured  as the second spinner = but he is really worthless.  

I think it is time they start finding replacements - All of Amla, Du Plessis.Duminy and Steyn will be gone after the WC.   They have been trying out some players but with mixed success - why should Verreyne not be a consideration?                 

Dave

Who should them open the batting together with Markram and bat at 3?   I would  think that Verreyne would be the answer at 6, But he can also bat slightly higher in the order.   

Pretorius did very well in the Momentum Cup series and may be the choice in the short while

The real problem is in fact Duminy - for every one good game he has he collects three poor games,  very shaky situation for the team/    

CAPE TOWN – “I don’t think Ottis Gibson has ever seen Kyle Verreynne play any game of cricket.” 

That’s the forthright opinion of Cape Cobras coach Ashwell Prince.

Verreynne, 21, has enjoyed two stellar seasons of franchise cricket since graduating from the SA Under-19 ranks. The wicket-keeper/batsman has followed up his “Newcomer of the Year” prize received at the 2017-18 CSA Awards with another good year.

He struck 583 runs at average of 44.84 in the 4-Day Series to boost his overall first-class average to 49.65. He then lit up the Mzansi Super League opener at Newlands before continuing his form in the One-Day Cup, where he averages 64.66.

Verreynne’s glovework has also been more than tidy, but has since seen Warriors prodigy Sinethemba Qeshile move ahead of him in the pecking order with the 20-year-old having made his T20I debut this past weekend after just one season of franchise cricket.

Equally, the Proteas have trialled part-time keeper David Miller behind the stumps in a couple of matches this season in regards to preparing a stand-in gloveman for the World Cup later this year.

“He’s (Verreynne) a very competitive and very motivated guy and I’d say playing for the Proteas is very high up on his agenda. Obviously, he’s still young and there’s a lot of time ahead. He has had two very good seasons. I backed him as a second potential wicket-keeper for the World Cup squad,” Prince said.

“I have my reasons for that. I work with him on a daily basis. Regardless of the situation he steps up every time. It is those types of players that I am really impressed by. People who stand up in tough situations.

“He is only slight in figure, but always nearly goes at a 100% strike-rate.

“And the skill there is that he is not a big-hitter who hits boundaries, but he is almost able to score off every ball. I don’t think Ottis Gibson has ever seen Kyle Verreynne play any game of cricket, so that is what goes on in our cricket. It is out of our control, unfortunately.”

Prince believes the former Wynberg Boys’ High gloveman can also be utilised in the longer formats, even with Quinton de Kock in the Test line-up.

“I would say that if I had any influence in the national team, the way they batted in Test cricket, I would move Quinton down to No 4 and give the gloves to Kyle. That’s how much I back him. But that’s my opinion,” Prince said.

“I am saying the way they batted in Test cricket this year with Quinny being not out, trying to smack whatever with the tail towards the back end he is being wasted. He is probably South Africa’s best batsman at the moment. I would do that. Make Quinton No 4 and give Kyle the gloves. He will make 100s at No 7 as well.”

Verreynne will have another opportunity to make a further imprint on the national selectors when the Cobras face the Titans in the One-Day Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

I was dealing above with the WC squad and the fact that the Proteas is one batsman short.   The reason for that is that they need 7 batsmaen in the squad and only five of them has had proven themselves as selectable.

They are De Kock, Markram, Van der Dussen, Du Plessis and Miller.   The newspapers is all agog about Duminy - but since his return from injury he had art least as many flops as he had good matches,   His bowling is a definite disaster,   The other two options are Amla and Hendricks - both have been failures in ODI's over the past year and Amla's record in WC games (and especially crucial play-off games) is disastrously poor, while his fielding is a disaster as well,   A the start of the recent ODI's Hendricks was another media favourite - but he flopped.

If the Proteas took along Duminy he needs backing up and that is why I support the selection of Verreynne as the seventh batsman.

As to Andile - I have no problem with him - I would rather see him in the squad as a allrounder than the bar bowler Shamsi,   They do not need Shamsi - if they need a back-up spinner they have Markram and even Duminy to do the job.   Both are batting all=-rounders with spin as an addition.   Both are better spinners than Shamsi anyway.    

Great early call by the usual suspects........