Shukri Conrad opens up about Jason Smith selection for T20 World Cup: ‘He can surprise a few people’

One of the most talked about and debated Proteas selections for the upcoming T20 World Cup has been of Jason Smith, the middle-order batter who’s played for the national team just twice before in T20 cricket.

The 31-year-old was considered a surprise selection for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka starting February 7.

Smith scored 37 runs in total in his two previous T20s for the Proteas, against the West Indies in Tarouba in 2024 and against Namibia in Windhoek last year, with one of those a solid 31 and the other score a six not out.

In all T20s, he’s scored 1,825 runs from 85 innings with a highest score of 79 not out and average of 27.65 and strike-rate of 127.71. He’s gone past 50 seven times.

In the recent SA20 competition, playing for MI Cape Town, Smith managed just 99 runs from nine innings at 11 and strike-rate of 148.

‘Various roles’

Asked late Thursday to explain the somewhat “left-field” selection of Smith for the World Cup, Proteas coach Shukri Conrad said “left-field isn’t necessarily a bad field to come from” and elaborated on the decision to pick Smith.

“I’ve known Jason [31] for a long time. He spent a lot of time in the national academy years ago, and he’s been a great performer for the SA A side. When Tony [de Zorzi] went down [with an injury in India in early December], Jason was meant to join us, but he was injured.

“In the few times he’s represented South Africa in white ball cricket, under Rob [Walter, the former white-ball coach] he did brilliantly.

“As for his role in T20 cricket … he can do various roles. Yes, can do the Donovan [Ferreira] type role, but he’s also a proper batter. He can bat anywhere from three to six or seven, depending on the situation and what the game demands at a particular time.

“If he has clarity of the role we’ll give him, which there will be, I believe he can surprise a few people. He’s a wonderful athlete, he’s got a power game, he’s a proper batter. You only need to look at his numbers in first class cricket and for the SA A side, and few times he’s represented South Africa in white-ball cricket.

“Jason gives us good variation, if that’s what’s required from the batting side of things, which there is a place for. He ticks all those boxes for us.”

Recall of Stubbs

De Zorzi, who went down with a hamstring injury while on tour with the Proteas in December, as well as Donovan Ferreira, who picked up a shoulder injury playing for Joburg Super Kings in the SA20 recently, have been ruled out of the T20 World Cup.

Conrad announced on Thursday that Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs, who’ve played regularly for the Proteas in recent years but were left out of the initial 15-mn squad, had been recalled to the side.

There is, however, still come concern about the fitness of key middle-order batter, David Miller, who hurt his groin in the last few days and hasn’t played again for the Paarl Royals in the SA20.

“David’s been pulled out of the West Indies series [next week] as a precautionary measure,” said Conrad. “I’m confident he’ll be on the flight to India.”

Regarding the recall of Stubbs, who’s struggled somewhat in all his cricket in recent times, Conrad said: “He has the experience. We know he has the power game and a touch game; he’s the complete package when firing, and it’s up to us to unlock it again. He’s a helluva player.”