ZIMBABWE T20I TRI-SERIES, 2025
Corbin Bosch is in contention for South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad next year © AFP
The name’s Bosch. Corbin Bosch. Not Eathan Bosch, and not Tertius Bosch. When your brother is, like you, out there in the SA20 and your father played Test cricket, it can be difficult to separate yourself from the bunch. The Bosch bunch.
But Corbin Bosch is managing just fine. Having taken a wicket with his first ball in a Test and scored 81 not out in the same match – against Pakistan in Centurion in December – he was set up for his own spotlight.
And he hasn’t stopped there. Bosch scored an unbeaten 100 and took 5/74 in the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last month and followed that by claiming 5/65 in the second match. On Sunday, he took 2/16 in a T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare.
Sixty-four men have bowled seam for South Africa in T20Is. Only 15 of them have produced a lower economy rate in an innings in which they have bowled all four of their overs than Bosch’s 4.00.
These are good ways to attract attention ahead of the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India in February and March next year. Bosch wasn’t part of the selectorial conversation when the squad was picked for last year’s edition of the tournament in the US and the Caribbean. He is now.
The fact that South Africa reached their only senior men’s final – in the 2024 T20I version – and won the WTC final – against Australia at Lord’s last month – with the respective head coaches, Rob Walter and Conrad, doing all of the selecting cut no ice with the suits.
They have made the baffling, out-of-touch decision to revert to a panel of selectors. The best that can be said of that folly is that Patrick Moroney, a proper cricket person was appointed convenor last week. He will come on board on August 1.
Shukri Conrad elevated Bosch to international level in his capacity as sole selector. But the head coach will no longer be in full control over the make-up of the squad he will have to answer for if and when things go wrong.
“That’s out of our control,” Bosch said of the board calling back the past. “As cricketers, our goal is to play every time we get an opportunity. It’s important to put your best foot forward. If anyone’s speaking about it it’s background noise. In the set-up no-one’s really speaking about it.”
Conrad was made all-format coach following Rob Walter’s departure. “Shuks is trying to find the best combinations. The goal is the T20 World Cup coming up, and he’s trying to fine-tune things for that.
“This is his first white-ball series as head coach, so I think he’s also trying to find his feet. But he’s meticulously planning how he wants to go about it and how he plans to set up his team. He’s doing a good job so far and everyone is buying into his plans,” said Bosch.
© Cricbuzz
