South Africa will be touring Australia for a white-ball series which include three-match T20i and ODI series. As there is no Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, or Reeza Hendricks so it is expected that Ryan Rickelton could be trusted with the senior role and he might open with a youngster – Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
Both are wicketkeepers and left-handed. They are ten years apart in age, have 18 T20I caps, and two half-centuries. As a result, Rickelton, who participated in his debut IPL and had a breakout summer in Tests and ODIs for South Africa, may be called up to the senior squad even as he tries to establish himself. What impact would that have on his typically aggressive batting style? He answered, “Not at all.”
“I’m still trying to establish myself in the T20 side but I don’t think there’ll be any expectation for me to change anything that I’ve been doing in these last two years,” Rickelton said from Darwin, where South Africa are set to play a three-match T20Is series against Australia starting Sunday. “It’s just an opportunity for me to hopefully claim that opening spot for this South African side, going into the World Cup and further on past that.”
Rickelton thinks he will be able to continue playing his natural style because South Africa will have the experience of regular captain Aiden Markram back in the top order and Rassie van der Dussen in the middle order for their three Twenty20 International matches.
“The way the team is structured fits the mould of how they want me to play too, so I’m pretty comfortable with what’s required,” he said. “I am always looking to land that first punch and get the side off to a good start no matter who’s alongside me at the top.”
As South Africa prepares for eight months of virtually nonstop cricket, Rickelton, Markram, and other returnees Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, and Kagiso Rabada were all rested from the tri-series competition in Zimbabwe.
They will play white-ball cricket in England following the Australia tour, and then they will begin defending the World Test Championship in Pakistan. The SA20, a quick home series against the West Indies, the T20 World Cup, and an all-format trip of India will come next. After that, those five and a few more will participate in the IPL, extending their playing duration to ten months.
The plan has already taught Rickelton, who did not participate in the MLC this year, how to manage his workload, and he will use these lessons as the next hectic time approaches.
“This was my first IPL year and it’s three long months in India which can really stretch you, mentally more than anything,” he said. “I would still like to play leagues when the opportunity comes along and next year there’s a break after the IPL so there’s some space in between.
“Once you get to the groove of playing a lot of cricket, it can be really nice when you’re playing quite well but it can also be quite dark if you’re not playing too well. It’s more trying to manage the space mentally. That’s probably the balance that I’m trying to walk at the moment.”
All of that changes from this week when South Africa press play on what is set to be an important period as they build under all-format coach Shukri Conrad, with two ICC tournaments and a new WTC cycle ahead of them.
“If you look at the fixtures lined up for the T20 World Cup, we’ve got some big competition and some big rivals,” Rickelton said. “If we can put a good foot forward and play quite well and match what we want to try and replicate in a few months’ time, especially against quality opposition, that’s really important to the team and the individuals as well. We spoke about it as a group, we have an opportunity to try and win a series in Australia, which doesn’t come around that often, and we’re looking forward to obviously cementing our own places and playing well for South Africa.”
