BENONI: Player exposure and growth are two areas that South Africa Under-19 (SA U19) Men will be targeting as they prepare for their three-match Youth One-Day International (YODI) Series against Bangladesh starting in Benoni on Thursday.
This is according to head coach, Malibongwe Maketa, who is looking forward to the three games followed by a subsequent tri-series that also involves Zimbabwe as the junior national side begin their final preparations for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 early next year.
The South Africans, semi-finalists in the last tournament they hosted at the start of 2024, are looking towards Bangladesh to offer them a different prospect in terms of testing their skill levels as they prepare for next year’s finals in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
“We try as much as possible to expose them to different conditions so that they start their international base with a lot of exposure,” Maketa said ahead of the series.
“For us as coaches, it (these series) allows us to get to know the players better and understand what areas to focus on in terms of their growth going forward.
“We’ve been really lucky to have been able to take them to Namibia where we will be based, and then also taking them to Zimbabwe now is going to be great exposure for them because that is where the semi-finals and final will be.”
Maketa and his coaching team have built a solid core of players, led by co-captains Muhammad Bulbulia and Jason Rowles. However, the door still remains for those impressing for their provinces.
“We’re continuously working towards improvement with the players,” Maketa explained.
“We can also say the door is not yet closed for others to push for a spot. But we’re always looking to upskill the players so that they are able to perform in different conditions like they will be facing in the World Cup.
“It’s very hot at that time of year in Namibia and so upskilling against spin in the middle overs for example, is something we’re working on. Also bowling in the flat conditions is another area to look at. Making sure our fast bowlers have good control, so it’s a lot about overall development of our players.”
Maketa is looking forward to the challenges that will be posed by Bangladesh.
“The Bangladeshi players get early exposure into first-class cricket, so we know we’re going to have less bad balls bowled at us, we know the quality of spin is going to be very high and so from that point of view it’s going to give us a good idea on where we need to sharpen up.
“Some of the guys will be representing our country for the first time and that will also bring different pressure. So we’re looking forward to the start of the final journey to the World Cup which Bangladesh will bring for us,” concluded Maketa.
SA U19 Men’s Squad – Youth ODI series against Bangladesh U19
Muhammad Bulbulia (captain, KZN Inland), Jason Rowles (captain, Lions), JJ Basson (Lions), Corne Botha (Lions), Daniel Bosman (Western Province), Paul James (Western Province), Enathi Khitshini (Garden Route Badgers), Adnaan Lagadien (Western Province), Bandile Mbatha (Dolphins), Armaan Manack (Lions), Bayanda Majola (Dolphins), Kamogelo Phiri (Lions), Vihan Pretorius (Titans), Ntando Soni (Warriors) and Jorich van Schalkwyk (Titans).
Management
Malibongwe Maketa (Head Coach), Blanche Conradie (Manager), Imraan Khan (Batting Coach), Paul Adams (Bowling Coach), Thabang Kumalo (Fielding Coach), Tumi Masekela (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Sheenagh Jordaan (Physiotherapist), Kyle Southgate (Team Analyst), Eugene Oppelt (Performance Psychologist) and Lita Gqirana (Media Manager).
Fixtures
1st YODI – Thursday, 17 July at 09:30
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni
2nd YODI – Saturday, 19 July at 09:30
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni
3rd YODI – Tuesday, 22 July at 09:30
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 – Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Source: cricket.co.za
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