South Africa Aim For Better Show in Emerging Players

The South African coach for the Emerging Players squad hopes the tournament which includes quality opposition from New Zealand, India and Australia will help bridge the gap in the level of competition between domestic franchises and the South African national team.

"This tour is part of the National High Performance strategy to expose more players to international competition," Corrie van Zyl said before the squad departed for Australia for the tournament starting July 20 in Brisbane. The team will play eight matches in ten days before the final on August 1. Last year South Africa won just one out six matches.

But assistant coach Shafiek Abrahams said the aim of the tournament was to grow mature and grounded cricketers.

"India and New Zealand have picked top-class players and our members will get an opportunity to play against some of the world's best. We have an exciting set of players, a lot of them performed well in the domestic season and have been rewarded with a wonderful opportunity," Abrahams said. "The squad is well balanced and the younger players can feed off the older guys as well as off the experience of some of the Proteas players." Three out of the 15 - Thandi Tshabalala, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Vaughn van Jaarsveld - have played international cricket.

South Africa open the tournament with a Twenty20 against New Zealand on Monday.

South Africa Emerging Players squad: Vaughn van Jaarsveld (c), Craig Alexander, Farhaan Behardien, Henry Davids, CJ de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Reza Hendricks, Heino Kuhn, Rilee Rossouw, Daryn Smit, Juan Theron, Thandi Tshabalala, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Stiaan van Zyl, Basheeru Walters