CAPE TOWN – The Proteas will play their first ODI on foreign soil since the 2019 World Cup when they take on Ireland in a three-match series starting on Sunday in Dublin, with Rassie van der Dussen claiming the hosts “are going to throw everything they have at us”.
The focus has primarily been on Test cricket and T20I’s since the resumption after the Covid-19 enforced break, with the visitors arriving in the Emerald Isle fresh from a hugely-successful two-format tour of the West Indies. The Proteas won the Test series 2-0 before edging out the T20 world champions 3-2 in the series decider in Grenada.
Van der Dussen, in particular, will be eager to lock horns with the Irish having been a regular in the local Belfast leagues close on six years ago now. The experience gained over two wonderful summers in the land of the leprechauns and four leaf clovers played a pivotal role in the Proteas middle-order batsman’s career development, which has now blossomed into an accomplished international performer that boasts a hugely-impressive ODI average of 80.90.
“I have very fond memories of playing in Belfast … of the people at the club there. I am looking forward to seeing some of the faces I know. At that stage I was still playing franchise cricket back in South Africa. It sort of gave me the opportunity to come over here and experience different conditions and people,” Van der Dussen told the media.
“I have seen where Ireland has come from then and where they are now as a team. They are a Full Member now and we're really looking forward to the challenge. For us it’s a really exciting prospect. It is a team that has come on in leaps and bounds in the last few years. There aren't any easy series anymore, especially from home. We know that it’s an absolutely massive series for them and they are going to throw everything they have at us.”
The 32-year-old’s knowledge of the local conditions will certainly be essential for the Proteas, with the visitors’ only previous experience in Ireland being a once-off ODI in Belfast back in 2007. Current Proteas coach Mark Boucher was still behind the stumps in that rain-reduced game, during which Vernon Philander claimed 4/12 on ODI debut to drive the visitors to victory by 42 runs.
“They know their conditions very well. I know the skill they have in these conditions and their fighting spirit. It is going to be a big series. This challenge is for us to adapt to foreign conditions from a batting and bowling perspective and then find ways to win the game,” he said
“Everything is very dependent on overhead conditions. When the sun is out and the wicket gets hard then it becomes favourable for batting. But when there is a bit of rain around in the preceding days and on the day, then the ball does swing and the grass sorts of livens up and the seam movement becomes more of a factor, especially in 50-over cricket when there are two new balls. In general, the weather should be okay in Ireland this time of the year. I think the conditions will be a lot more batter conducive than what we had on our previous tour of the West Indies.”
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