Proteas Head Coach, Gary Kirsten, considers New Zealand’s tour a perfect opportunity for his squad to prove their true mettle before travelling to battle England later this year.
"We've set long-term goals and this series is part of that. It's important for our tour to England because it's going to be a very competitive series,” Kirsten said.
The No.2 ranked Test team will get a chance to develop their form and establish a rhythm, which the former South Africa opener hopes will propel the team to victory. “This New Zealand tour is not a standalone event. Developing consistency is not suddenly just going to come right, it's a process that takes time," he elaborated.
The 44-year old, whose credentials include a World Cup 2011 win as Indian coach, said his team was leaving for New Zealand early, in order to get as much practice as possible before the series commence on February 17 in Wellington.
"We're purposefully going a bit earlier than usual because the guys need a lot of time in the nets. They need time to get used to the pace and bounce, and they'll have five good days of practice,” he said.
Following Pakistan’s whitewash of England in the recent Test series, SA stand a good chance of grabbing the top spot on the ICC’s ranking for best Test team, provided they claim victory in all the three longer version bouts.
Commenting on the opposition, who recently mauled Zimbabwe in a 3-match ODI series, Kirsten claimed that Brendon McCullum’s squad were “street-smart”, and knew how to handle and manipulate their conditions. However, he said that it was the responsibility of the his side to play well under any conditions.
The tourists will commence their tour with three T20 matches, where AB de Villiers will be captaining the team for the first time during an international tour. The squad features three new additions, namely pacer Marchant de Lange, middle-order batsman Justin Ontong, and opening batsman Richard Levi.
Senior cricketers such as Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith have been excluded from the T20I squad, but will feature in the line-up for the three-match ODI series which kicks off on February 25.
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