Herschelle Gibbs says the Proteas must back Reeza Hendricks after “politics” kept him out of the team.
Hendricks ironically won CSA’s T20 Player of the Year award in 2022 despite not getting a game at the T20 World Cup in Australia as the Proteas selectors persisted with captain Temba Bavuma at the top of the order.
In the past 18 months, Hendricks has scored 626 runs in 14 T20Is at an average of 48.15 and a strike rate of 151.20, including seven fifties.
While the 34-year-old averages just 29.58 after 31 ODIs, he has been in and out of the team. At the recent ODI World Cup in India, he made 85 against England after Bavuma was ruled out of the match.
With Quinton de Kock having retired from ODI cricket, Hendricks now has a golden opportunity to cement a place in the XI, starting with Sunday’s match against India at the Wanderers.
Gibbs believes Hendricks deserves an extended run in the team.
“He may feel aggrieved that the selectors have messed him around,” the former Proteas opening batsman told Rapport newspaper. “Give him a chance to play uninterrupted ODI cricket for two seasons.
“Politics ruled him out [in the past]. Just look at what happened at the World Cup – he got two chances, and in the one innings he hit 85.”
Meanwhile, former Proteas all-rounder Lance Klusener believes the selectors did Hendricks an injustice by only picking him every now and then.
“They should have backed him and let him play for 10 games in a row. That explains why he only has an average of 29.58 in 31 games. He could be twice as good.”
Klusener says Hendricks’ recent success is due to his greater maturity.
“He now knows when to absorb the pressure and when to transfer the pressure to the bowlers.”
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
