Tristan Stubbs is set to bat at No 3 for the Proteas in next month’s two-Test series against the West Indies.
The 23-year-old made the second-most runs in last season’s Domestic 4-Day Series, with 562 runs for the EP Warriors at an average of 80.28, including a career-best 302.
Stubbs has made just one Test appearance, against India earlier this year, scoring three and one on a poor Newlands pitch.
“I think he’s one of the best around, and I think unfairly people have just seen him as a T20 and a white ball player,” Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad said on Monday after naming his 16-man squad for the West Indies series.
“If you look at the way he came in during the [T20] World Cup, and commanded his space and imprinted himself on games, so I think Tristan’s going be a hell of a player.
“He’s the type of cricketer that I want at the top of the order, and I think he’s got all the makings of a top-class No 3 batter.
“I certainly wouldn’t be giving anybody something to do if I didn’t think they were capable of doing it, [I’m] certainly not hanging him out to dry.
“We’ve got eight Test matches, so he’ll get a really good run and he’s definitely one for the future.
“Some might say it’s a big call, but I certainly won’t be throwing someone in at the deep end and give him a task that I didn’t think he was capable of handling.”
The Proteas will play a warm-up match against a West Indies Invitational XI at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago from 31 July to 3 August.
The first Test against the West Indies will take place at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago from 7-11 August and the second at the Guyana National Stadium from 15-19 August.
Most of South Africa’s T20 stars are playing in the Major League Cricket tournament in the USA, which ends on 28 July. Those players selected for the West Indies tour will fly directly to the Caribbean in time for the warm-up match.
“We’ve got the luxury of a warm-up game, so we’ve got 10 days in Trinidad before the first Test match,” said Conrad.
“I mentioned to [Proteas Test captain] Temba [Bavuma] that it’s the first time as a Test unit that we’re going to spend some extended time together.
“My first series was against the West Indies [in February and March 2023] when we got together three days before the first game and we got together two days before the India series because there were Monday matches going on.
“You just have to roll with the punches. It is the modern-day world,” Conrad added. “Players can easily move from T20 and Test match cricket.
“I’m very comfortable that guys will be in America. They’ll take a short flight across and then we’ll have a week’s preparation before the first Test.”
Proteas Test squad: Temba Bavuma (c, Lions), David Bedingham (WP), Matthew Breetzke (Warriors), Nandre Burger (WP), Gerald Coetzee (Titans), Tony de Zorzi (WP), Keshav Maharaj (Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Titans), Wiaan Mulder (Lions), Lungi Ngidi (Titans), Dane Paterson (WP), Dane Piedt (Knights), Kagiso Rabada (Lions), Tristan Stubbs (Warriors), Ryan Rickelton (Lions), Kyle Verreynne (WP).
Photo: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images
