Cricket News

Neil Brand’s South Africa leave for New Zealand to take a shot at creating history

The sunburnt pitches of New Zealand await an unfamiliar South African unit as Neil Brand, a captain, who is yet to even make his Test debut, will lead a predominantly fresh-faced squad in the upcoming Test series. With the clash of the SA20 domestic league causing most Proteas to prioritize the shorter format, Brand, a 27-year-old opener, finds himself unexpectedly at the helm, facing the Black Caps on their home turf. Gone are the seasoned veterans like Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada and Aiden Markram, replaced by a group eager to etch their names onto the Proteas honour roll.

While acknowledging the lack of experience within the ranks, Brand prefers to look at the positive side. “There’s always pressure, but there’s also a lot of pride that comes with wearing this shirt. We don’t want to let our country down. We want to perform,” he declared ahead of the team’s departure. He then added that while experience at the Test level is lacking, the players in the squad have played a lot of domestic cricket which will hold them in good stride.

“This team has 96 games per player as an average. That’s a lot of first-class cricket in the group. There’s a lot of experience in terms of domestic cricket and that has to count for something. There’s not a lot of Test matches but you’ve still got to see it as a positive. I don’t think anyone has any baggage,” he said.

“But this is the ultimate for me”

While admitting the allure of Dean Elgar‘s vacant opening slot, Brand swiftly pivoted the conversation. “Deep down I do see it like that but there are a lot of good openers around the country at the moment,” he said. He gestured towards his teammates, emphasizing the abundance of talent vying for the coveted position. “Eddie Moore will also be desperate to stake a claim for the Test side. But this is the ultimate for me. Test cricket is the ultimate.”

The buzz surrounding the Proteas’ New Zealand expedition is palpable. Fans, pundits, and the media are abuzz with a mix of scepticism and curious anticipation. This fresh-faced squad, deemed underdogs by many, is stepping into the lion’s den. Failure, while not condoned, wouldn’t carry the same sting as for a seasoned squad. But success, oh, success would be a fairytale etched in cricketing folklore.

Hence, for Brand and his band of rookies, the underdog tag should hold no fear. They should see it as an opportunity to rewrite narratives, to silence doubters, and to forge their own legacy.