Proteas batter Tony de Zorzi
- The South African A squad jetted off from Johannesburg on Wednesday as they start their tour of Sri Lanka this weekend.
- Proteas batter Tony de Zorzi will lead a strong squad to the subcontinent.
- They will play three one-day matches as well as two-four day encounters.
With three one-dayers and two four-day matches ahead of them in the subcontinent, Tony de Zorzi is looking forward to the South African A sides tour to Sri Lanka that gets underway this weekend.
De Zori, who leads a strong squad coached by Proteas red ball mentor, Shukri Conrad, says preparations for the tour have gone exceptionally well, but now, it’s about applying that out in the middle.
“We caught a lot of the nets; we had double sessions most of the days morning, followed by afternoon sessions,” said De Zorzi, as the team flew out from Johannesburg on Wednesday.
“We also had a couple of warm-up games and then middle session scenarios.
“It’s always nice to be in the middle, spend time on the legs for the batters and for the bowlers to get a proper feel of some game time with some match-like intensity and then obviously preparing for certain conditions as well. So I think preparations have gone really well, and everyone is ready to go and hit the ground running come the weekend,” he added.
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De Zorzi, who is coming off a promising debut season of international cricket, is looking forward to the trip, which begins with a one-day clash in Kandy on Sunday.
“I’m quite excited about the challenge of leading the ‘A’ side for this tour,” he said.
“It’s a massive honour, and I’m really pleased to be given the job.
“We have a very talented squad of players that have been put together by coach Shukri. I’m pleased to be working with them and look forward to learning from them as well.”
The squad includes several Proteas in Keegan Petersen, Kyle Verreynne, Gerald Coetzee, Senuran Muthusamy, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams, Sinethemba Qeshile and Lutho Sipamla. Zubayr Hamza is also returning to the national setup.
Some of the country’s most exciting young players, including batters Dewald Brevis and Jordan Hermann, have also made the cut.
De Zorzi added: “We want to obviously go there and win both series; that’s the main target. We also want to see players develop in different conditions at the same time, so that is the aim.”
South Africa A Squad against Sri Lanka A
Tony de Zorzi (captain, Western Province), Matthew Breetzke (Warriors), Dewald Brevis (Titans), Gerald Coetzee (Titans), Zubayr Hamza (Lions), Jordan Hermann (Warriors), Tshepo Moreki (Lions), Senuran Muthusamy ( North West Dragons), Keegan Petersen (Rocks), Sinethemba Qeshile (Warriors), Lutho Sipamla (Lions), Tristan Stubbs (Warriors), Beyers Swanepoel (Warriors), Kyle Verreynne (Western Province) and Lizaad Williams (Titans).
Management
Shukri Conrad (Head Coach), Riaan Osman (Team Manager), Piet Botha (Bowling Coach), Kruger van Wyk (Fielding Coach), Justin Sammons (Batting Coach), Nandile Tyali (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Brent Martin (Physiotherapist), Abram Ndlovu (Performance Analyst).
South Africa A Tour to Sri Lanka Itinerary
One-Day Matches
Sunday, 4 June
Sri Lanka A vs South Africa A in Kandy
Tuesday, 6 June
Sri Lanka A vs South Africa A in Kandy
Thursday, 8 June
Sri Lanka A vs South Africa A in Kandy
Four-Day Matches
12 – 15 June
Sri Lanka A vs South Africa A in Dambulla
19 – 22 June
Sri Lanka A vs South Africa A in Dambulla