The Cobras will field a young and talented squad for the upcoming Cricket South Africa T20 Challenge. ANDRE HUISAMEN picks three players to look out for.
Tony de Zorzi will be hoping to lead his team a few steps further after falling out during the semi-final phase of the Momentum One-Day Cup. Coach Ashwill Prince has selected an exciting group of players with some strong firepower, well capable of taking the team all the way.
Janneman Malan
Malan has now shown on a number of occasions that he can be destructive at the top of the innings. The right-hander doesn’t waste time getting in and finds the boundary with a lot of ease. His international experience is also beginning to add up and he is busy developing into a fine limited-overs player. Along with De Zorzi at the top of the order, Malan holds the key to strong start with the bat for the Cobras. Once settled in, he is a difficult batsman to dismiss.
George Linde
Linde is also beginning to reap the benefit of competing on the international stage with the Proteas. He has long been a star player in the Cobras set-up and is part of an exciting set of spin bowlers in South African cricket. De Zorzi will look to him at key stages, either at the start of an innings or during the middle phase, to pick up important wickets for the Cape outfit. He also fits the T20 format well, with his batting capabilities a handy extra to the team.
Kyle Verreynne
The right-hander is another key component to the Cobras batting unit. The T20 Challenge will give him another excellent opportunity to show just how good he is and what he is capable of. As he showed for the Proteas in the ODI series against Australia last year, Verreynne can score quickly and his rotation work in the middle is also good. His battles against some of the more experienced bowlers in the competition should be worth the watch.
Cape Cobras squad: Tony de Zorzi (c), Calvin Savage, Christiaan Jonker, Corbin Bosch, George Linde, Hlomla Hanabe, Imraan Manack, Janneman Malan, Jason Smith, Kyle Verreynne, Nandre Burger, Onke Nyaku, Siyabonga Mahima, Tshepo Moreki, Ziyaad Abrahams, Zubayr Hamza.
