Proteas coach Rob Walter says the T20I series against the West Indies is the ideal time to bring 18-year-old fast bowler Kwena Maphaka into the national setup.
Maphaka played a pivotal role in South Africa’s semi-final finish at the U19 World Cup earlier this year, with his Player of the Tournament haul of 21 wickets coming at an average of 9.71.
He then made his domestic T20 debut for the Central Gauteng Lions and featured for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
“He is a wonderfully calm young guy and seems to have his head screwed on very well,” Walter told the media on Wednesday.
“We’ve seen him perform for the Lions in the domestic competition by bowling super overs and winning games for them and he performed well in the U19 World Cup.
“He seems to have a cool perspective on it all.”
Maphaka, then 17, had a difficult IPL debut, conceding 66 runs in four overs. In his second match, he celebrated his first IPL wicket, but conceded 23 runs in his two overs.
“We were chatting about the IPL experience and, as much as the performance wasn’t there, there are not many schoolboys who can say they’ve already run out in front of a full Wankhede and got that under the belt,” said Walter.
“Skillsets aside, I love his mindset and his calmness, and we see him as a strong potential for the Proteas moving forward. It was an ideal opportunity to get him on tour and into the system.”
Walter acknowledged the need to manage expectations around Maphaka.
“As a young guy, it will be up to him and his support group, of which we are only one portion, to keep things in perspective. The media reports do sometimes add a bit of pressure on young guys if they read a little bit.
“It’s to keep him grounded and to understand that he is under no time pressures. We don’t need to speed this thing along. We just need to assist him and support him in the best way possible to be ready.
“That journey and taking care of him as an individual is foremost. We’ll be endeavouring to do that as best as we possibly can.”
Photo: Daniel Prentice/Gallo Images
