Cricket
Exclusive: Lhuan-dre Pretorius Shows Maturity Beyond His Years After Missing Proteas T20 World Cup Squad
Teenage cricket sensation Lhuan-dre Pretorius may have missed out on the Proteas T20 World Cup squad, but he remains positive and grateful for the opportunities he has had at just 19. Praises coach Conrad's honesty and celebrates teammate Maphaka's selection. With a remarkable journey from T20I debut to Test cricket stardom, he remains focused on learning and excited about his future in the game.
Pakistan v South Africa - ODI Series: Game 2 by Muhammad Sameer Ali | Getty Images
One player that may have considered himself a tad unlucky not to make the Proteas T20 World Cup squad is teenage sensation Lhuan-dre Pretorius, but he’s certainly not bitter about it.
At 19, Pretorius is a player for the future, considering he has already played in all three formats for the Proteas.
As an explosive, aggressive opener, the Southpaw is tailor-made for T20 cricket and has already made a name for himself in the SA20 with his third season on the biggest already off and running.
On talent alone, Pretorius could have easily been on the plane to India and Sri Lanka next month, but he knew before the squad was announced that his time had not come yet, as coach Shukri Conrad kept him in the loop.
Pretorius on Maphaka’s Proteas Selection
“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.”
Interestingly, another 19-year-old did make the Proteas squad, as left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka got the nod.
Pretorius was pleased that his former Paarl Royals teammate was picked and did not seem to have a hint of jealousy.
“It’s really cool. We’re quite good mates. Unfortunately, he's not with us at the Royals this year. I would have loved to have him here. Really, really stoked for him. I think he deserves it. He’s worked a lot. He's worked very hard.”
From T20I Debut to Test Cricket Stardom
Pretorius has already played 17 matches for the Proteas, with 12 of those appearances coming in T20Is. Though he is regarded as best suited to the shortest format, it’s in Test cricket that he made the most explosive start as he scored an incredible 153 on debut against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in June last year.
To have already achieved what he has in the game is nothing short of phenomenal, but it’s something that the youngster does not dwell on.
“You play a lot of cricket right around the world. Don't get many breaks after this; you’re straight back into domestic cricket. So you don't really get much time to reflect."
“The only time you get is when you're in bed at night. Trying to reflect, and it's hard to believe it if you told me when I was 10 years old I'm going to play 20 Internationals by the age of 19 for the Proteas and make my all-format debut, I would have taken it with both hands and just run with it."
“It's really a dream come true.”
Michael Sherman is an experienced sports journalist in South Africa with 15 years in the industry. Michael began his journey in sports journalism for the SA Press Association (Sapa) during the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa, before covering the local Premier Soccer League for three seasons and later specialising in cricket and golf.