SOUTH Africa will return to one-day international cricket next week for the first time this year, having last made an appearance against India in Paarl last year.
That series against India was the Proteas’ first ODI clash after the 2023 World Cup semi-final exit, and even then, the squad looked a lot different, with key players rested and promising youngsters given an opportunity.
One of those youngsters was left-handed opening batter Tony de Zorzi, who seemingly replaced the retired Quinton de Kock in the 50-over format.
De Zorzi would go on to have a dream debut with a sparkling match-winning century in Gqeberha and a decent half-ton in Paarl to announce himself as a viable option at the top of the order.
As a result, there were no surprises when De Zorzi was included in the ODI squads that will travel to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow to face Afghanistan and Ireland.
These two series will undoubtedly be an audition for the left-handed batter to become a member of the full-strength team as the Proteas continue to build a team for the home ODI World Cup in 2027.
White-ball head coach Rob Walter has today announced the squads for the upcoming One-Day International (ODI) series against Afghanistan and the proceeding white-ball tour against Ireland, which get underway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later this month.
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“The World Cup is definitely not far away, and my goal is to be a part of that team. I think all cricketers in the country are pushing, training and hoping to be in that side,” De Zorzi told Independent Newspapers.
“In terms of consistency in the ODIs for the Proteas, I think I’ve been pretty good, and hopefully I can do that again against Afghanistan and Ireland.
“If I can be consistent in all formats, that means I’m batting well, my technique is in a good place and I’m not overcomplicating it.”
De Zorzi heads to the UAE fresh from a crisp half-century against Sri Lanka A in Potchefstroom about two weeks ago.
Prior to that innings, the 27-year-old had a fruitful Test tour of the Caribbean where he finished the series as the leading run-scorer as he played an important hand in South Africa winning the series 1-0.
With a busy summer coming up, De Zorzi knows that his best form will only do him good.
“It’s important for me to have form going into the summer, because it gives you something to look back on if there’s any dips,” he said.
“It allows you to create some momentum. With these fixtures coming up, there’s not too long a break in-between games, which sometimes is nice if you’re batting nicely. It keeps you in the same routine and mindset.”
South Africa will depart to the UAE tomorrow, where they will play three ODIs against both Afghanistan and Ireland, and an additional three-match T20 series against the Irish.
The first ODI will be against Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium next Wednesday.