Proteas' fast bowler Kwen Maphaka was preparing for the match against Zimbabwe, which took place on Tuesday. He received another chance to demonstrate his ability to replace Kagiso Rabada in the Tri-Series T20I, which will be held in Windhoek.
Rabada is currently not in Namibia; however, he suffered a hamstring injury, leading to his exclusion from the upcoming ODI series in Australia and casting doubt on his participation in the Test matches scheduled for October 9th. Young Maphaka confidently stated his readiness to take responsibility if necessary, although he still has a long way to go to reach Rabada's consistency.
In the first match against Zimbabwe last week, he showed that he had significantly improved his discipline following intensive training with fast bowling coaches Piet Botha and Allan Donald during the winter period.
The Zimbabwean batsmen, who scored an impressive 195/6 in their last match against the hosts on Monday, will undoubtedly pose a serious test for Maphaka and his teammates. Nevertheless, Maphaka believes that Proteas can handle any challenges presented by the Chavrons.
He noted: 'I think we have prepared very well. We have prepared for all circumstances that may arise.' He continued: 'And ultimately, if Zimbabwe decides to use a different approach, I believe all our bowlers are versatile enough to counter it, and they adapt to conditions, they adapt to how they play. I think we will show some really good cricket.'
Maphaka also believes that the pitch at NCG has improved as the tournament progresses, considering that 386 runs were scored in the last match, but he thinks there is still plenty of opportunity on the field to assist the bowlers. He added: 'I think it is a pretty good pitch we are playing on. It is a bit harder in the middle overs, especially if the bowlers utilize the field to their advantage.' He concluded that since there is a long side and a short side, smart bowlers can face difficulties in the middle of the game, which is why many teams try to capitalize on the Powerplay.
The team lineups for the Tri-Series T20I match at NCG were as follows: Proteas included Bjorn Fortuin (captain), Ethan Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen, Jordan Herman, Ruben Herman, Duane Jansen, Kwen Maphaka, Ngobani Mokoena, Nqwaba Pieter, Lhuandre Pretoria, Andile Simelane, Luto Sipamulo, and Prenelan Subraena. Zimbabwe fielded Sikandar Raza (captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Berla, Graham Kremer, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Innocent Kaiyu, Wesley Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadzu, Kundai Matigimu, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Newman Nyamhuri, and Tafadzwa Chiguwa. The match is scheduled to start at 14:00 South African time.