‘Baby AB’ Brevis steps onto international stage as SA host Australia

DURBAN: Dewald Brevis will take a step onto cricket’s big stage during Australia’s white-ball tour of South Africa, which starts with the first of three Twenty20 Internationals at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

Brevis, 20, was nicknamed ‘Baby AB’ for the way he modelled his game on that of retired South African star AB de Villiers.

He wears the same number 17 on his shirt and has the ability to hit big sixes, particularly in the area between midwicket and long-on.

He slammed a South African T20 record score of 162 off 57 balls in a domestic match last October but has yet to have consistent success for franchise teams in four countries.

Brevis is expected to make his international debut in the T20 series and will need to live up to the early hype about his career to secure a ticket to the 50-overs Cricket World Cup in India in October and November.

Brevis is part of an 18-man squad for a five-match one-day international series which follows the T20s. Only 15 players will go to the World Cup.

“I know there will always be expectations,” he said. “Pressure is always there; I feel the pressure, but I like it. I just want people to get to know me as Dewald Brevis and just see how I go about my things.”

Several other players from both sides will also be keen to press their World Cup claims.

Australia will hand debuts to opening batter Matt Short, all-rounder Aaron Hardie and fast bowler Spencer Johnson in the first Twenty20, with captain Mitchell Marsh excited to see them in action.

The tourists have a host of players either injured or unavailable for selection, leaving plenty of opportunity for new faces.

Short will partner Adelaide Strikers team mate Travis Head at the top of the order and Marsh has tipped him to make a big impact.

“It’s very exciting, he is coming off an outstanding 12 months for the Strikers and Victoria last year and thoroughly deserves his place,” Marsh told reporters on Tuesday.

“We are looking forward to seeing him open the batting. I have encouraged him not to change anything and take the game on.”

Josh Inglis will wear the wicketkeeper gloves in a side packed with all-rounders who can contribute with the ball, though Marsh said they would concentrate on their specialists.

“I would be very surprised if we used nine bowlers, if we do then something has gone terribly wrong,” he said. “It is important that we have a lot of bowling options and flexibility, but we have our five or six main guys to do the job for us.”

March said he was also keen to see Johnson take on the South Africans with his express pace.

South African fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, 22, has had a rapid rise to prominence and will be making his T20 international debut after playing in two Test matches and two one-day internationals.

The white-ball series will provide hard-hitting Tristan Stubbs with a chance to cement a World Cup place.

SOUTH AFRICA: Aiden Markram (captain), Temba Bavuma, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams, Rassie van der Dussen.

AUSTRALIA: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Short, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.