No hard feelings ... Lhuan-dre Pretorius plays starring role in Proteas’ victory over Windies
Lhuan-dre Pretorius starred in the Proteas’ victory over Windies with a 44-run knock, showcasing his readiness for international cricket despite being omitted from the T20 World Cup squad. Picture: Rodger Bosch/AFP
Image: Rodger Bosch/AFP
Not long ago, young Lhuan-dre Pretorius was one of the notable omissions from the Proteas squad for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month.
At 19, it was understandable that he was left out as he is only just beginning his journey in international cricket.
However, his good mate Kwena Maphaka, who is the same age, did get the nod. That move would later come into question as Maphaka ended with four wickets in the SA20 and Ottniel Baartman was leading wicket-taker with 20, but was not picked for the World Cup in place of the youngster.
On Tuesday evening, Pretorius showed he was ready to perform whenever called on by the Proteas as he combined with skipper Aiden Markram (86 not out) for an explosive 83-run opening stand against the West Indies in the first T20I in Paarl.
Pretorius Shines with 44 Off 28 as South Africa Eases to Victory
By the time the big-hitting Pretorius was out, he had struck 44 from 28, which included six fours and one maximum.
South Africa would go on to chase down the 174 needed for victory with ease, crossing the line with 13 balls remaining and nine wickets in hand.
Earlier this month, Pretorius said he had been kept in the loop by Proteas coach Shukri Conrad that he would not be part of the World Cup squad.
“Obviously, the messages were really clear, which is cool. Shukri Conrad is a very honest guy. For the people that don't know him, he is a really honest guy, and he's really open and not scared to tell you the truth and be open with you,” Pretorius told SportsBoom.co.za.
“So yeah, it would be nice to be part of the squad, but I'm still 19 years old and I'm still very young. So I'm just keen to learn, excited to learn, and see where my journey takes me. Still got lots of time ahead.”
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