Underdog tag a ‘motivation’ for new-look South Africa’s captain Brand
While South Africa have been getting ready for Dean Elgar’s closing Test, his replacement – as each opening batter and captain – was being referred to as up. Literally.
“It was the morning of the primary day of the Test in Cape Town that Shuks (Shukri Conrad, Test coach) referred to as me and stated, “You are within the staff and you’re additionally going to be captain,” Neil Brand said in Johannesburg ahead of the squad’s departure to New Zealand. “Obviously going over to New Zealand, making your debut and captaining is sort of fascinating and doubtless fairly uncommon. I’m clearly delighted.”
Brand finds himself on this distinctive place each as a result of the vast majority of South Africa’s first-choice gamers are unavailable as they fulfil obligations on the SA20 and since Elgar retired after the Newlands Test. Had he not retired, Elgar, who does not have commitments with any T20 franchise, could have led the team he captained 18 times between 2017 and 2024 in New Zealand and added much-needed experience to their ranks.
Instead, Brand, his opening partner at Titans in the domestic circuit, will lead a squad that includes eight uncapped players, in New Zealand and will have to front up against the new ball as well.
“Initially you’re like – ‘Wow, is that this truly taking place,’ and you then realise it should grow to be a factor,” Brand said, when asked to describe how he felt. “This tour has been spoken about lots within the media. People have written us off however we’re nonetheless carrying the Proteas badge. We are determined to return again with one thing.”
Inexperience aside, South Africa’s touring party will also be facing New Zealand who have not lost a home Test series since March 2017.
“There’s all the time stress, however there’s additionally a variety of pleasure that comes with carrying this shirt. We do not need to let our nation down. We need to carry out.”
He pointed to the experience at the level in his group at domestic level as an example. “This staff has 96 video games per participant as a median. That’s a variety of first-class cricket within the group,” he said. “There’s a variety of expertise by way of home cricket and that has to depend for one thing. There’s not a variety of Test matches however you’ve got nonetheless received to see it as a constructive. I do not suppose anybody has any baggage.”
“I’m somebody that may visualise and see how persons are doing issues. I’ve been within the Titans for 5 years now with some superb captains and I’m a really deep thinker in regards to the recreation so I’m all the time analysing their resolution making.”
Neil Brand
Also included in South Africa’s squad are seamer Dane Paterson and spinner Dane Piedt, who have played 271 first-class games and taken 990 wickets between them and Keegan Petersen, a 12-Test capped batter, who has played 130 first-class games and is 112 first-class runs away from 8000. Those are not numbers to scoff at, albeit they are not numbers at the highest level. Brand himself has played 51 first-class games, has almost 3000 runs and averages a shade under 40. In the last two seasons, he has been among the top-ten run-scorers in the domestic first-class competition and has learnt to score in difficult home conditions.
“Playing on the (Centurion-based) Titans makes you powerful, particularly opening the batting,” he said. “Over the previous few years batting with Dean, I’ve learnt how one can always rating runs in powerful conditions.”
He has also consulted with Elgar on captaincy, but, with 18 matches under his belt as a first-class leader, wants to establish his own identity. “I’ve spoken to Dean and Albie Morkel however I do not need to converse to too many individuals and alter the way in which I captain,” he said. “I’m not actually somebody that may ask questions. I’m somebody that may visualise and see how persons are doing issues. I’ve been within the Titans for 5 years now with some superb captains and I’m a really deep thinker in regards to the recreation so I’m all the time analysing their resolution making.”
Brand was accountable for the South African A side that beat West Indies A 2-1 in an unofficial Test sequence late final yr, the place he received to know a lot of the squad that he’ll take to New Zealand. “I’ve to offer Shuks [Conrad] a variety of credit score for planning that A sequence. I’m the one participant from the Titans, so going into that sequence, I used to be captain and I did not know anybody personally,” he said. “After these three video games, our staff cohesion was superior. We are going to go on the market and provides it our greatest shot. It’s good going to New Zealand as underdogs. We are simply utilizing that as motivation.”
There is also some personal incentive for Brand in New Zealand. While it’s likely Temba Bavuma will be back to lead the side later in the year, Elgar’s retirement means there will be a vacancy at the top of the order and Brand could use this series to make a case to fill it. “Deep down I do see it like that however there are a variety of good openers across the nation in the intervening time,” he said. “Eddie Moore may also be determined to stake a declare for the Test facet. But that is the final word for me. Test cricket is the final word.”
South Africa are giving themselves over two weeks to acclimatise in New Zealand earlier than the primary Test on February 4.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and ladies’s cricket