Jon-Jon Smuts

As Director of Cricket mentioned that the 17th contract will be awarded to a deserving player.

A player who’s been consistent in domestic cricket and at a national level depending on opportunities.

For me, there is no player in our domestic cricket who’s figured out his game in all three formats quite as Jon-Jon Smuts has.

In domestic cricket, and perhaps South Africa cricket, there’s no player who is as well-rounded as Smuts is.

Being voted SACA’s Most Valued Player of 2017/18 season as captain of Warriors is an achievement only a few players in domestic cricket can match.

To go with his experience and consistent performances at franchise level, Smuts is one of those players who are just great team players. He has an ability to bring out the best in his teammates.

One example is that of Sinethemba Qeshile – wicketkeeper batsman of the Warriors. Jon-Jon has had numerous valuable partnerships with the youngster which is a sign that they were having good conversations out in the middle to help bring the best out of Qeshile’s performances.

At a Proteas level, he can open the batting, bat in the middle order, bowl effective off-spin and can chip in with regards to helping De Kock who’s still young in captaincy.

He is the James Milner of cricket. His character is what the Proteas desperately cry out for as they rebuild. Someone who can keep a level head in tough situations and can get the best out of any situation. It’s never about him but always the team first.

Give Jon-Jon Smuts the contract.

Marc Jacobson

Heinrich Klaasen has already showcased his credentials of being a worthy international cricketer and although he has experienced a fluctuation of form over the past couple of seasons, the 28-year-old, in my opinion, deserves that mysterious 17th Proteas knot ahead of the 2020/21 season.

Klaasen most notably claimed the Man of the Series accolade in the Proteas’ 3-0 ODI series triumph over a confident Australian outfit in March this year.

This performance was especially characteristic after the Proteas’ disastrous string of results in 2019 and throughout the summer against England and Australia, the latter of which in the Test and T20 series.

The Proteas made up some much-needed ground in the ODI series against the Aussies and Klaasen was at the pinnacle of sparking some hope in a side that was very well astray.

The right-handed wicket-keeper batsman was one of several ‘experimental’ national players flung into the deep end over the course of the summer, with the Proteas having desperately looked for their winning formula and combinations.

The composedness he displayed out in the middle when the Proteas were limping along in the first ODI was telling.

With Quinton de Kock taking the reins as the Proteas primordial wicketkeeper-batsman, there is no denying that Klaasen can provide solid back-up in that department, whether as a wicketkeeper-batsman or just as an effective middle-order batsman.

It came as a big surprise when his name was omitted from the Proteas contracted list in mid-March, but, fortunately, that 17th slot was left vacant whereby Cricket South Africa plainly said, “players can qualify for it through performance”.

Well, there you have it. Klaasen has definitely performed.