Proteas look sharp ahead of Champions Trophy

SOUTH Africa’s ICC Champions Trophy preparations began successfully on Friday evening at Hove. They will continue at Northamptonshire today before taking a step up in intensity on Wednesday in Leeds when the Proteas and England square off in the first of three ODI’S.

Only four matches therefore remain before South Africa’s tournament opener against Sri Lanka at The Oval on June 3.

Coach Russell Domingo has already stressed that his team’s focus will not be on the England series and instead be squarely focused on preparing for their Group B rivals, which also includes Pakistan and defending champions India.

Fringe players will be given opportunities – like they were against Sussex on Friday evening – with all-rounder Wayne Parnell, deputising for the rested Hashim Amla at the top of the order. Faf du Plessis was also not required for duty, while ODI captain AB de Villiers was unavailable for selection due to a respiratory tract infection.

De Villiers was to be monitored overnight before being considered for today. (62) and Delray Rawlins (41) kept the match competitive with lower-order cameos.

There is a feeling that South Africa could go deep in the tournament – their World No 1 ranking certainly suggests this even though a large contingent of the Proteas squad are on their maiden tour of England.

“We’re pretty confident, we’ve played really good cricket over the last 12 months which bodes well for us. But coming over here, the conditions are different.

“There are a couple of guys in the team coming over to England for the first time. It’s just getting used to the conditions,” said Parnell.

Meanwhile, England have recovered from their disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign and are one of the favourites for next month’s tournament, says De Villiers.

England were dumped out in the group stages of the World Cup after winning only one of their five matches. They are currently ranked fifth in the ICC world rankings for the format.

“They did really well to come back from that,” De Villiers told reporters.

“They are a really talented group of players – the way they came back from that earned a lot of respect around the world.

“They must be one of the favourites, in their home country and them having played some really good cricket of late.”

All-rounder Ben Stokes had a stellar Indian Premier League season, scoring 316 runs and collecting 12 wickets in 12 matches to help the Rising Pune Supergiants reach the final.

“But he will not play in the final after being recalled by England for the South Africa series.

“He’s definitely got something special about him,” De Villiers added.

“A lot of guys lose their way in the IPL, and others find the next level in their game – Ben Stokes definitely lifted his game and I think it would have done him the world of good.”

De Villiers, 33, has made himself unavailable for the Test series against England which follows the Champions Trophy.

“I haven’t retired, but I’m not going to change my decision,” De Villiers said.

“I’ll look indecisive, but it’s important that I’m feeling physically and mentally healthy, and that’s what I decided on.”