Andile Phehlukwayo a little rusty but keen to kick on

Proteas all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo says it feels good to be back in the national set-up and hopes to put in a good performance as SA take on Ireland in the second one-day international (ODI) on Tuesday.         

Phehlukwayo, who was not a member of the SA touring party for the recently concluded series in West Indies, said he is looking forward to getting in a full game after the first encounter between the sides was rained out on Sunday. 

While he felt a bit “rusty” by his own admission in the opening game played at The Village, Phehlukwayo is confident of a return to form once he gets some game time under his belt.

“Every time I am on the field for the Proteas, I just want to make the team proud and have an impact on the game. Unfortunately, the first game was rained out, so hopefully we can get a knock in the next game.

“Obviously, I have been shy of a few games lately. I think the longer I am out on the park, the more the confidence will grow and I will get references of how I used to play and how things used to be on the field, so it is just a matter of spending more time at the crease,” he said.

In his assessment of the Irish pitch, Phehlukwayo said it was  slow but he felt it would have been a competitive game against their hosts.

“It was a bit slow, but I feel it was a good wicket and it would have been a good game, just unfortunate that it was rained out. As batsmen, I think we would need to assess conditions early upfront because the first 10 overs are usually the toughest time to bat. After that it became a bit easier on Sunday.

“The pitch became slow and the ball didn’t do much. So, moving forward, we just need to adapt in the first 10 overs. After that the game does get easier, then you can press on and see how best to play from there,” he said.

Phehlukwayo said the bowling attack was consistent throughout the series in West Indies and is carrying that over into the Irish tour.