South Africa’s latest rising Cricket Prodigy Lhuan-dre Pretorius has been called up to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pretorius joins the Rajasthan Royals as a replacement for the injured Nitish Rana who has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to a calf injury. The 19-year-old sensation has been one of the standout performers in the 2024/25 season.
The Rajasthan Royals are out of the running for IPL victory this season as they lie ninth in the 10-team table with just six points thanks to three wins and nine defeats to date. They have two matches remaining this IPL season.
The Rajasthan Royals are looking for new blood to join their ranks and this is where Pretorius comes in. The new prodigy is expected to be among the forces that will turn the tide in the Rajasthan Royals Cricket team’s fortunes although better training on the field is needed.
Meanwhile the Proteas White Balls Cricket team has a new coach.
South Africa Test coach Shukri Conrad will take charge of the Proteas white ball teams until the 2027 ICC 50-over World Cup, the CSA announced in Johannesburg on Friday. Conrad, who has been coaching the SA Test side from 2023, succeeds Rob Walter, who resigned in April after the Champions Trophy. The 58-year-old’s first white ball assignment will be a T20I series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in July. CSA Director of National Teams and High Performance, Enoch Nkwe commented: “Shukri’s track record with the red-ball team speaks for itself. “He has laid a solid foundation and instilled a strong identity within the Test environment. I’m excited to see him bring the profile and structure to the white-ball space.”
South African Test and other forms of professional Cricket is a game of intense wit and talent. Coach Shukri Conrad will be greatly experienced in how to train the Proteas for their upcoming matches. In Cricket it is easier to use the white ball at night rather than the traditional red ball because a white ball is better seen in the dark under the floodlights. Conrad will have his work cut out for him when coaching the Proteas White Ball. It may still be a long way to victory. Cricket more than any other sport depends on skill in manoeuvring the opposing team and Conrad needs to ensure the team goes through the motions. The Result is that the Proteas can be taken seriously at any time be it night or day.
Its all a matter of how the sport is played.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
