JOHANNESBURG – Dwaine Pretorius is trying very hard not to think about the World Cup - even confessing to not knowing when the squad for that tournament will be announced.
The date for the announcement is not a state secret - Linda Zondi and his national panel will name the 15 players on April 18.
Whether Pretorius’s will be among them is the thing he’s trying very hard not to think about. “As a player you need to give yourself the best opportunity to show what you have and what you can do in those situations,” Pretorius said on Sunday night, following the final T20 International, which the Proteas won, wrapping up the series 3-0.
“I don’t know what’s happening with the team or when it’s announced. That is out of my hands. International cricket is done now, you just have to hope for the best, that’s all you can do.”
Pretorius was informed shortly before warm-ups that he would be batting at no.3 on Sunday, which given his remarks about not wanting to thinking about the World Cup then led to him thinking about the World Cup.
“I looked at it as a One-Day game. If I am going to be playing One-Day cricket I’ll be coming to the crease with 14 to 15 overs left, trying to be positive.”
That he was on Sunday blasting an unbeaten 77 off just 42 balls hitting seven fours and three sixes to propel the Proteas to a formidable total of 198/2.
Rain during the second half of Sri Lanka’s run-chase brought a revised target into the equation one the tourists failed to reach losing via the Duckworth Lewis Stern method by 45 runs.
Happy Monday to all the #ProteaFire fans!
How good were our boys yesterday?! 🔥🔥🔥 #SAvSL pic.twitter.com/8kBSsYO0du
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) March 25, 2019
Pretorius fits into the category of ‘maybe’ at the moment when it comes to a World Cup squad, and while not the flashiest of players it’s his reliability and consistency that are strengths.
Earlier this summer he expressed surprise when picked for the touring group to Australia following the injury to Wiaan Mulder. He has steadily shown his worth over the course of the season, so is he still surprised that he has moved from apparently outside the selectors’ radar, to World Cup contender?
“As a player you always back yourself and think that you can play there. I never stopped believing. I’ve worked hard on my mindset this season; it’s not about what other guys do, but what I can control and can do.
I’ve done that much better this season than in any other season. I’m worrying about my game, playing my game my way and hopefully, that is what the selectors are looking for,” he said.