The 2026 outbound white-ball tour saw coach Shukri Conrad rest a number of experienced senior players. The team predominantly consists of experienced first-class cricketers and a few young players with international caps behind them.

Conrad has regularly emphasised that the aim of this tour is to give younger players more experience before they potentially come up against teams such as Australia or England at the 2027 ODI World Cup.

On 26 August, the media had an opportunity to sit down with Proteas batter Dewald Brevis to discuss the upcoming tour.

When asked about taking on the role of a senior batter and helping guide some of the newer faces in the squad, Brevis said:

“Yeah, firstly, it’s always a big privilege and honour representing your country. And yeah, for me, it’s just to be out there and play the way I obviously always play.

“I think all of the younger players and whoever is newer in the environment, they all bring a very unique and different skill set. Everyone is talented and, yeah, they’re just going to come out there and they must just be themselves.

“And I think our team looks great. We are young players, but very exciting, and everyone brings a lot to the table.”

When asked about his experience playing for London Spirit in The Hundred, Brevis highlighted the value of experiencing different conditions.

“I think the main thing that was nice is playing in those conditions, like playing quite a lot at Lord’s.

“Yeah, I think it’s nice to get used to those conditions because, as a South African, your dream is to play there, Test cricket and different formats. So that’s the main thing. But the format is a bit different compared to T20.

“So yeah, I think you can’t really compare too much. It is 20 less balls, it’s 10 balls per side. The flow of the game is a bit different.

“So I think it’s just, you see this is a different format to T20, and you just play it out ball by ball, actually.”

He further elaborated on the lessons he learnt from the tournament.

“Yeah, I think it is just, you always learn to have a calmness. Even if it’s less time, you can easily bring up the strike rate or the rate and everything of the game very quickly.

“You have to respect the game, you have to respect the moment almost, because you can be on 40 off 17 balls and then you feel like you just end up on the non-striker’s end for about a whole set of 10 to 15 balls.

“And then you kind of just have to realise that moment and, yeah, just take that next ball really on merit. And if it’s there, it must go. But also remember that the flow of the game is a bit affected there.

“You haven’t faced about 15 to 20 balls.”

When asked about his aspirations to play more Test cricket, Brevis said:

“Yeah, for sure. Test cricket is the pinnacle and my favourite format.

“Well, I love all formats, but Test cricket is really a very special format. So yeah, for sure.”

When asked about dealing with fame as a young cricketer, he said:

“Well, for me, from a young age, it’s always been my dream. And I believe God blessed me to put me in this position, to be out there, to play this game. And yeah, all of it has been a blessing and an honour, and I enjoy every moment of it.

“So yeah, it’s just to really know that I don’t play for myself and there’s a bigger purpose. Yeah, I just enjoy to be out to do what I love.”

When asked about his preferred batting position, Brevis explained why the No. 3 and No. 4 positions appeal to him.

“Yeah, I love batting anywhere, especially like three-four. I think that’s where I really want to be the best for the team, obviously for myself.

“That is a really important position in T20 cricket, even in ODIs and in Test cricket. I think that is, like, that’s a special position. You look at the powerplay, all the fielders are in.

“If you watch the ball and you’re over them or in the gaps, obviously the ball can swing a bit more, but there are more challenges, I feel, being in the middle when the field is spread. And I really want to just get better in those positions and in those moments.”

When asked about the venue and the conditions the Proteas could encounter in Namibia, Brevis said:

“I’m very excited. We just drove yesterday past the ground and it looks beautiful.

“I think obviously there will always be challenges and conditions, so it’s for us to adapt quickly and to make sure when it’s a flat wicket and the conditions are great that we perform on that, and when it’s tougher we find a way to also be positive and make it work. So yeah, it’s exciting.

“It’s always nice to say if the conditions are tough and you raise your hand as a team and you come out on top. So it’s just great opportunities.”

When asked about conversations with Conrad regarding his game, consistency and cementing his place in the side, Brevis stressed the importance of remaining true to the style that has brought him success.

“Yeah, it’s always nice with Coach Shukri. He always backs me and wants me to play the way I play, and I always feel his backing in that way.

“Consistency does come with time when you actually find out and you just keep playing the way you play.

“That’s how you find consistency, not by changing the way you play. That’s what I’ve learned because I actually tried to change a bit in my younger days, if I could say it like that, although I am a bit young still.

“But yeah, it’s about playing your way and backing it fully, and then with time you’ll notice and you can certainly feel it.

“You feel more comfortable out there, you understand more the flow of the game and it’s a nice place to be when you feel like that. But it’s just to always be true to yourself and to have fun in this environment.

“I think with the coaches, Coach Shukri and everyone, that’s what we aim for. We want everyone to be unique in their ways.”

When asked about the danger of Namibia being underestimated and the perception that the tour is simply an opportunity to give younger cricketers international experience, Brevis said:

“We always see it as a contest. For sure, obviously, it’s younger players, but everyone is very talented and deserves to be here.

“So yeah, I think we’ll never see it like that. It’s an opportunity to represent your country and make your country proud. So we all are fresh and ready to play.”

Brevis was also asked about his trademark no-look shot and whether coaches encourage him to play it.

“No one has ever encouraged me to play that. It’s something that comes from a very young age. It’s just how I play.

“It just happens. It’s when I’m in the moment and the ball is there, those things happen. So yeah, it’s quite cool.

“I love watching how it looks afterwards, but it’s a feeling you get out there when it makes contact with the ball and then your head is just, for some reason, down. And you just know you don’t have to look up because you just know it’s flying.

“But yeah, I think I know the backing I have, the way I should play.

“And then it’s just, you can have all the backing, but it starts then within yourself to commit to that and not to have a bit of doubt. Maybe you just have to play your way. And it’s with everyone in this team.

“Everyone has been backed and must express themselves out there.”

When asked whether the conditions in Namibia could affect his naturally aggressive approach, Brevis said he prefers to experience conditions himself rather than forming too many opinions beforehand.

“Yeah, well, I’ve never played in Namibia. I can speak to people and I will speak maybe a bit to people. But also as a player, I don’t like to do too much of that.

“I like to be in the moment and to feel the conditions out there. We will have training sessions and you will develop a better feel of it. But yeah, that’s what I’ve found playing in different places, training in different places.

“You will have the skill to adapt to what the conditions are out there. So it’s just to be very in the moment and to play the ball, whether it’s low and slow or bouncy.

“From your younger days, you have developed skills to adapt to that and you just have to be in the moment to do that.”