The highly competitive T20 series against England was the perfect opportunity for Mark Boucher to fine-tune his squad in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in Australia in October/November writes Alasdair Fraser.

While the Proteas let themselves down at crucial moments during the three-match series, where they’ll need to improve on their discipline in the bowling and fielding department, nothing should be taken away from a determined England outfit that had a genuine matchwinner in Ben Stokes and a highly experienced captain in Eoin Morgan.

But first, let’s congratulate South Africa and England on a great series. I don’t normally get up for T20s but the excitement around those three games was amazing and it would have been even more of a humdinger if it had been a five-match rubber. 

For all our woes England are a class outfit – there is a reason why they are the current ODI World Champions. Stokes, Morgan, Jason Roy, Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan were sensational. The South African cricket fraternity were royally entertained by these tourists.

Given the massive changes that took place just a couple of weeks before England arrived, the Proteas need to take the lessons learned and take the positives into an exciting clash with Australia. And there were plenty positives, as some of our heroes also royally entertained the fans with some explosive hitting with the bat and crucial death bowling by Lungi Ngidi.

The main positive was the burgeoning batting partnership of Temba Bavuma and his skipper Quinton de Kock. The narrative of the first few overs was finding the gaps and quick running between the wickets. It was effective as the duo got their eye in and the blood pumping. The latter led to a few brutal hits that even Chris Gayle would have approved of.

It set up some decent totals by the Proteas. Remove yourself from the results column here because the opening partnership is crucial in T20 cricket and we should celebrate the performances of Bavuma and De Kock, with their wickets falling when the team total was going at a rate of over 10 runs an over. It’s telling that there has been a collective groan with the news of Bavuma’s injury, which has ruled him out of the series opener this Friday.

For me one of the major positives was Heinrich Klaasen. He only played in the final match, but his contribution was mammoth – not just with the bat but his leadership on the field. It’s no hidden secret that he was one of Boucher’s main men at the Titans, and rightfully so. During Boucher’s tenurethere, the franchise was highly competitive in all three formats.

This was key in Klaasen’s communication to Titans teammate, Ngidi, towards the backend of the England innings. De Kock can only do so much behind stumps, as he cannot run to his bowlers each time a ball is bowled. While it’s never wise to have too many chiefs on the field, it is certainly wise to have a chief or two strategically placed during battle – you saw that with the Springboks who had four leaders on the pitch throughout a Test match.

Klaasen is that man and he will know exactly what Boucher’s coaching philosophy is about – plus he can bat. For the Proteas to continue their ‘brave cricket’ path, Klaasen needs to remain in the frame with a view to the looming T20 World Cup.

If AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis are set to return, it would be ideal to sit them down and take away all forms of leadership responsibility. This does not mean take away the valuable knowledge they can impart to their teammates, but rather let them provide support and concentrate on their batting for the benefit of De Kock and his new-look Proteas.

And chin up if you still feel sad about losing the series to England. With the likes of AB (watch this space), Faf, Kagiso Rabada and the mercurial Imran Tahir returning, things might become decidedly rosy come October.  

My World Cup team: De Kock (c), Bavuma, AB, Faf, Van der Dussen, Klaassen, Phelukwayo, Steyn, Rabada, Ngidi, Tahir.   

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