Following a trying tour to the subcontinent last month, where the Coca-Cola South Africa U19s went up against India U19s A and B, as well as Afghanistan in a Youth One-Day International (ODI) Quadrangular series. Head coach Lawrence Mahatlane is eager to maintain the momentum ahead of a busy schedule this winter.
“It is an exciting opportunity for these young men to really go out there and express themselves and hopefully get an opportunity to get selected for future tours,” he commented during the first day’s training. “Whether you play (in future tours) or not, it doesn’t stop them from staking a claim for the World Cup early next year.
“We’ve got a couple of internal warm-up games but what is also important is that, in between and during these games, we will still have skills-based activities being done. We will also be having a lot of lectures afterwards, just working on cricket awareness, about helping them understand what is required to play at a certain level and hopefully getting them to really own that process.”
Mahatlane elaborated on what his main objectives are for the camp. He said: “The key word for me is attitude. I am looking at what kind of attitude they have. We’ve had a couple of weeks where there has been no cricket, so we want to see where they are and how much work they have put in. They are all talented and there are more talented cricketers out there, more than this 28 that are here.
“We are looking for good character, guys who you would want to take to war with you.”
Coca-Cola South Africa under-19s TAP squad
Lehan Botha (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
Ruan Terblanche (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
Akeem Minnaar (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
Jordaan Lee Woolf (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
Imraan Philander (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
Siya Plaatjie (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
Achille Cloete (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras)
Francis Moran (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
Caleb Pillay (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
Mondli Khumalo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
Lifa Ntanzi (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)
Andrew Louw (VKB Knights)
Ruan Cronje (VKB Knights)
Pheko Moletsane (VKB Knights)
Levert Manje (bizhub Highveld Lions)
Bryce Parsons (bizhub Highveld Lions)
Bakang Motswiri (bizhub Highveld Lions)
Jamie Copeland (bizhub Highveld Lions)
Khanya Cotani (bizhub Highveld Lions)
Jack Lees (bizhub Highveld Lions)
Karabelo Matlawe (bizhub Highveld Lions)
Odirile Modimokoane (bizhub Highveld Lions)
Wesley van der Spuy (Multiply Titans)
Jarred Jardine (Multiply Titans)
Luke Beaufort (Warriors)
Emihle Mqogi (Warriors)
Nonelela Yikha (Warriors)
Matthew Fourie (Warriors)
