Maketa closing in on squad for first Aussie Test

Proteas interim head coach Malibongwe Maketa will use the four-day match against a Cricket Australia XI to fit the final pieces of his selection puzzle together before the Test series starting next week.

The match, which will be played at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane starting on Friday, is to be followed by three Test matches — at The Gabba in Brisbane (December 17), the MCG in Melbourne (December 26) and the SCG in Sydney starting on January 4.

All three encounters will be crucial in terms of the World Test Championship standings, as both sides look to cement their place at the top of the table.

With some tough training sessions under their belts so far, Maketa believes the tour match will offer him the opportunity to give all his players some time out in the middle. “It will work in our favour in that we want to give all the batsmen a chance to bat, and we can also monitor our bowlers, having gone hard for the first three days that we have been here.

“It is an important match. Luckily some of our guys are coming off good performances at home but getting here and being exposed to the wickets will be crucial,” Maketa said on Tuesday.

Asked how fast-bowling debutant Gerald Coetzee has fitted into his surroundings, Maketa said the seamer is excited and has settled in well. “He has impressed a lot of the guys in the squad who may not have seen much of him, so as a collective, we are excited about what he brings to the group.

“I am always grateful to see a young player coming into the squad who is willing to learn, willing to try different things. Having spoken to him, he also seems quite excited and looking forward to the opportunity that he has been given,” the former SA A coach said.

WINNING SERIES

Maketa is confident the players, who were part of the underperforming World Cup T20 squad, have laid to rest those demons.

“Since we arrived here, our focus has been on how we will go about winning the series. The players who were here during the World Cup have contributed in many senses in terms of conditions, albeit T20 conditions.

“Test cricket brings with it different pressures, so I think the mental switch has definitely happened and earlier than we expected in terms of the energies we have received from them,” he said.

Maketa believes that while the introduction of T20 cricket has taken the world by storm, a winning team will always have fans returning to the grounds to watch their favourite players in action, regardless of the format.

He was responding to the question whether there is pressure on teams to play the game, especially the longest format, in a similarly aggressive fashion to the approach adopted by England over the past few months.

“For us, it is really about going out there and winning. We know that back home, people will support a winning team.

“Obviously, we want to play good, attractive cricket, brave cricket, but Test cricket is played over five days, so we want to make sure we can still be competitive in the last session of the fifth day,” he added.