“As long as we win it, I’ll be happy,” said Proteas all-rounder, Dwaine Pretorius, ahead of the white-ball series between South Africa and Sri Lanka. 

After testing positive for COVID-19, Pretorius is returning to the South African setup to find form in an important series before the World T20 in the UAE and Oman. “It’s been a long time for me being away from it. Feels like years and years. Very fortunate and happy to be back,” said Pretorius. 

The team’s first practice session was indoors owing to persistent rains. Quarantine requirements meant that the team will be practicing in smaller groups. “Obviously, it’s a bit tougher having smaller groups with the quarantine and COVID, but we’re dealing with that as best as we can. Hopefully, we can get back to team training as soon as possible.” Pretorius acknowledged that while training in batches is challenging for the players, it’s equally tedious for the coaches, who have to put three groups of players through their paces. “I think it’s more challenging for the coaches. A normal two-and-a-half hour day becomes a five-hour day because you have to service three groups and I’m sure they get very tired.” 

Pretorius believes the training camp the team had in Potchefstroom will help the players adapt in Sri Lanka. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of video analysis, given that Sri Lanka is fielding an inexperienced squad, which is still relatively new to international cricket. The outfields in Sri Lanka, in comparison with South Africa, are bigger. Pretorius believes 150-160 can be winning totals in Sri Lankan conditions. “150-160 scores are what we will target, depending on the conditions. That’s what we will plan for,” revealed Pretorius. 

The big outfields in Sri Lanka will test the Proteas’ fitness, but Pretorius is confident that the squad is fit enough to meet the demands presented by the humid conditions. “As a squad, we’re very fit, we’ve got the covered.” The players just need to ensure that they are constantly hydrated. “It’s important to keep yourself hydrated otherwise that’s where you’re going to find yourself lacking.”