A lot more at stake than

THE PROTEAS are now into the final stretch of their preparations for the World Cup.

At the beginning of the summer, coach Ottis Gibson and convener of selectors Linda Zondi both expressed a desire to play their first-choice 15 against Sri Lanka.

The islanders are next on the menu for the Proteas, which makes this five-part meeting with tempestuous Pakistan a last chance saloon for some players.

Some who looked set to be heading to the UK for the World

Cup may well see their dreams end within the next fortnight.

And, what is more, they will know. Deep down a player always knows when he hasn’t done quite enough to convince the selectors that he is the man for the job.

Even now, at this very late stage, the Proteas still have some key decisions to make. They are the kind of decisions that can determine how far they go in England. It really has become that serious, that urgent.

On that premise alone, the next two weeks will be very tricky for those on the cut line.

David Miller was in a similar place back in 2011, and just missed out. It was a bitter pill to swallow and he took some time to get over it. Happily for Miller, he emerged as a better player and a stronger character. He was a distinguished member of the 2015 squad that went to the semi-finals.

Similarly, in 2015, there was a