Dewald Brevis arrived at the T20 World Cup carrying high expectations. With prior experience of playing in the Indian subcontinent and an impressive showing in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the young batter was widely regarded as one of the players to watch out for this season. However, he has struggled to make an impact, managing just 50 runs across his last three innings.
While 50 runs in three matches may not appear overly alarming at first glance, the broader picture is less encouraging. Brevis has registered only one score above 30 in his last 15 T20I outings. That statistic increases the pressure on him heading into South Africaโs final league fixture against the UAE at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, before a crucial clash with hosts India in Ahmedabad.
Albie Morkel brushes aside concerns regarding Brevis’ form
Despite the scrutiny, South Africaโs consultant Albie Morkel has dismissed concerns over Brevisโ form. Labeling him an X-factor player, the former all-rounder emphasized that the team management has given the youngster complete freedom, confident that he will soon rediscover his touch. Until then, Morkel expects the rest of the batting unit to shoulder greater responsibility.
โThere has been no chat regarding this. We see him as an X-factor player. We have asked him to play in a certain way. If he doesn’t do, it will take away the x-factor. It will bite you hard at some stage but he’s gonna win you games. The best thing for us is to just let him be. There’s enough guys around who can play around the situation if needed but he’s certainly our X-factor player,” Morkel said.
South Africa have already qualified for the Super 8 round and will face India, West Indies and either Australia or Zimbabwe. They were the finalists of the previous edition and will be keen on repeating their heroics and win the World Cup this time around,