Tristan Stubbs was a notable omission from South Africa’s squad for the T20 World Cup, but ex-batter JP Duminy believes the youngster has shown strong leadership skills by taking Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the top of the SA20 standings and has backed him to do amazing things in the ongoing tournament.
Stubbs’ Performance and Leadership
Stubbs, 25, is regarded as one of the most exciting young batters in the cricketing world. He has gradually become a key player in all formats for South Africa and has proven himself as a finisher for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, his recent lean run in T20Is led to Jason Smith being selected over him for the T20 World Cup, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Despite this surprising omission, Stubbs has excelled as a captain for the very first time in the SA20 league, although his run tally currently stands at just 28 runs in five games.
Duminy expressed that this might be a unique opportunity for Stubbs:
“Again, I think it’s a great opportunity to shift focus. There’s no doubt there’d be disappointment for him. He’s been part of pretty much all formats for a period of time, and to miss out would be really disappointing for him. But I think the opportunity from a leadership standpoint is that it shifts focus onto other people and other teams.”
He added, “It’s great to see him in that leadership role. I think he’s got great leadership qualities, and the leadership quality that I think stands out for me, and I know he hasn’t put in major performances just yet.”
Duminy highlighted Stubbs’ potential, stating, “But he’s certainly somebody who comes to mind as leading through performance. Like, follow me, I’ll show you the way, and that’s a great leadership quality to have. I have no doubt that he’ll do some amazing stuff in this SA20.”
Looking Ahead
Duminy also felt that Stubbs would be prepared to step up if a chance to play as a replacement player comes up in next month’s mega event.
“Hopefully, if an opportunity arises, we’ve often seen in times past where injuries occur. We’ve certainly seen it as a South African team as well. Obviously, there’s some late-minute call-ups, and he certainly wants to give himself the best chance to make sure he’s ready for that, if any,” he said.