T20I Tri-Series: Five things' Proteas learned in Harare
The Proteas' fell just short of stealing the T20I Tri-Series from New Zealand in Harare, but there was plenty for coach Shukri Conrad to ponder about in his first white-ball competition.
Independent Media's Zaahier Adams selects five takeaways from the series.
1. Youth is the future
Conrad showed his hand when the white-balls squads for Australia were named prior to the final, but Lhuan-dre Pretorius repaid the faith with an exhilarating knock in the final.
After struggling during the early stages of the competition, with the Powerplay actually proving to be the most difficult time to bat in Zimbabwe, Pretorius was moved down to the middle-order.
But he is most destructive at the top, and Conrad shifted him back up for the final and Pretorius responded with a maiden T20I half-century. The teenager is an ideal backup for Ryan Rickelton.
🙌 Absolutely fantastic from Lhuan-dré Pretorius!
A destructive half-century in the Final as he rose to the occasion when it mattered most 💥🇿🇦. #WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/bc12Fa42yL — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 26, 2025
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2. Brilliant Brevis
Equally, the time is now Dewald Brevis. After a couple of years working out his gameplan after the initial hype, Brevis is now ready to be unleashed. There are few cleaner strikers of a cricket ball in the world at the moment, and along with the athleticism that Brevis brings in the field, he is a dynamite T20 package.
The 22-year-old took the Proteas to within one strike of lifting the trophy, and the pain felt from not taking his team over the finish line will linger and be the motivation to complete the job the next time he has the opportunity.
3. Thanks Keshav
It was not much more than a year ago when Keshav Maharaj was tasked with bowling the final over of a tense T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh in New York. In typical Maharaj fashion, the left-arm spinner responded to the call and completed the job.
But it is clear that Maharaj's services will no longer be required in the shortest format. The Proteas are seeking for allrounders across formats, and George Linde has shown that he can smash a long ball, while Senuran Muthusamy is a capable batter that was even utilised at No 4 in one of the matches.
The duo have overtaken Maharaj in T20 cricket with Muthusamuy's economy of 6.36 during the series showing his capabilities with the ball.
End of the PowerPlay in this Tri-Nations Final 🏆.
A rapid start in this first innings; our Proteas Men remain on the hunt for that all-important breakthrough to swing the momentum! 💥🇿🇦
New Zealand are 52/0 after 6 overs. 🏏#WozaNawe pic.twitter.com/QCPgD5XKIe — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 26, 2025
4. Razzle Dazzle
Reeza Hendricks is South Africa's leading run-scorer in T20Is this past 12 months - with almost double the next best of Tristan Stubbs. In all likelihood, Hendricks could win his third consecutive CSA T20 Player of the Year award on Thursday.
But that's still not going to be enough for 'Razzle Dazzle' to keep his place at the top of the order. The stylish right-hander does not fit the gameplan that Conrad wants to move forward with, even though he scored 41 and 37 in two matches against New Zealand.
At 34-years-old, it is hard to see Hendricks making a comeback to the T20I squad and there is a feeling that the Harare final may have been his last for the Proteas.
5. Revitalised Lungi
The big Proteas seamer often has to endure plenty of criticism, but there's no doubt that Ngidi has taken plenty of confidence from his performance in the WTC Final at Lord's.
Equally, Ngidi is approaching peak fitness which has a significant effect on his bowling.
Coupled with his skill-set of being able to deliver cutters and slower balls almost at will, Ngidi is a vital part of the Proteas' T20 attack.
He has also showed greater consistency during the death overs in Harare.
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