Dewald Brevis is relishing the chance to get his first taste of senior international cricket when the Proteas take on Australia at Kingsmead on Wednesday.
Brevis, who is 20 years old, was called “Baby AB” because he played like the South African star AB de Villiers, who is now retired.
He always wears shirt number 17, and he can hit big sixes, especially in the area between midwicket and long-on.
In a domestic match last October, he hit 162 runs off 57 balls, which was a South African T20 record. However, he hasn’t been able to do that consistently for franchise teams in four countries.
Brevis is expected to make his international debut in the T20 series. He will have to live up to the early hype about his career if he wants to play in the 50-overs Cricket World Cup in India in October and November.
Brevis is one of 18 players on a team that will play five one-day internationals after the T20s. There will only be 15 people at the World Cup.
“I know there will always be expectations,” he said. “Pressure is always there; I feel the pressure, but I like it. I just want people to get to know me as Dewald Brevis and just see how I go about my things.”
Several other players on both teams will also want to show that they should be in the World Cup.
Australia’s best fast bowlers won’t be playing in the T20 series. This gives Spencer Johnson, Sean Abbott, and Nathan Ellis a chance to make a name for themselves in the shorter games before the one-day series.
Travis Head, an Australian batsman, said on Monday that Johnson deserved to be picked because he had been hurt early in his career.
“He bowls at high speed and swings the ball. He can be a match-winner.”
Aaron Hardie wants to make the most of his first international call-up as an all-rounder.
Gerald Coetzee, a 22-year-old South African fast bowler, has risen quickly to fame. He will play in his first T20 international after having played in two Test matches and two one-day internationals.
Tristan Stubbs, who hits hard, will have a chance to secure a spot in the World Cup during the white-ball series.
Matthew Wade was added to the Australian T20 team at the last minute after Glenn Maxwell hurt his ankle while training in Durban.
T20 international squads:
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Temba Bavuma, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams, Rassie van der Dussen.
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Short, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.
Photo by Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
