If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs would be the youngest players to debut in international cricket. Still, there is some pushback against the two youngsters getting high-level opportunities so early in their careers.
Brevis was an early pick at the Indinan Premier League player auction for the Mumbai Indians and, despite the franchise struggling this season, he has been a standout.
Stubbs has joined him at Mumbai after rushing back from Harare, where he was taking part in South Africa A’s ongoing bilateral series against their counterparts from across the Limpopo.
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At 21 years old, Stubbs is the elder of the two. His career arc recently relished a steep upward curve after a few years in the age-group system at the Warriors.
Both players could see T20 cricket greatly accelerate their path to the international scene.
Australia and England’s picky nature when it comes to playing ball with the IPL has made it increasingly attractive for franchises to seek value in selecting South African youngsters early.
The modern cricketer is probably better prepared for T20 cricket than any other format, with shorter games preferred at schoolboy level anyway, and increasingly more outside T20 events drawing in young players.
Stubbs has been well prepared for his next phase, even if he is elevated at a young age, but it seems that Brevis’ progress is a runaway train that now cannot be halted.
It would be surprising if both players aren’t included in Proteas white-ball squads in the next year or so.
Brevis has shown that he can turn contests in the IPL – and just needs time out in the middle at the highest level to progress.
Stubbs is somebody who already cuts an impressive figure at the crease, and together with Brevis, would provide the kind of explosive batting the Proteas’ T20I team could really use.
Stubbs and Brevis should be on the Proteas’ white-ball tour to India in June.
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