Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad has confirmed the left-handed Ryan Rickelton will open the batting in next month’s World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s in London, England.
Rickelton has played 10 Tests – and opened the batting once. That was against Pakistan at Newlands earlier this year, when he hit a double-century.
Rickelton played a Test at The Oval in London, England, in 2022. The WTC final will be his first Test at Lord’s.
“I think Rickelton will be okay in terms of the slope because he plays at the Wanderers, where there’s a slope. That will help him, or at least it will give him some sort of confidence to play on the slope,” former Proteas Test opener Alviro Petersen told Independent Media.
“From a technical point of view, it’s important, especially in England, that you look to play in the ‘v’ early on. In England, they’re going to bowl quite straighter lines.”
Petersen played five Tests against Australia and three in England during a five-year career. His highest Test score was 182 against England in Leeds in 2012.
“Australia are not going to give you a lot of bad deliveries. Australia would have done their homework already. If Rickelton plays square of the wicket, guys, we’re not going to give him anything,” added Petersen.
“We’re going to protect the square, but also, we’re going to protect the straight boundaries. We’re going to ask him to do different things now.”
The WTC final will start on 11 June. Australia are the reigning champions. New Zealand won the inaugural WTC title.