New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS): Former South Africa cricketer Mark Boucher heaped praise on young batter Dewald Brevis and advised him to use the South African 20 tournament as the platform to get into the T20 World Cup squad.

Brevis burst onto the scene in his debut SA20 league match, captivating the audience with a blistering unbeaten 70 runs that set the tournament ablaze. However, as the season progressed, Brevis found himself grappling to replicate that initial success. With 235 runs in 10 matches during the inaugural season, expectations were high for the young prodigy. Unfortunately, the ongoing season proved challenging for him, with only 49 runs in six matches.

Despite the recent struggles, Boucher, a keen observer of Brevis's potential, remained confident in the youngster's abilities. The former South African cricketer emphasized Brevis's innate talent and mindset, urging him to find his composure and adapt his batting to the situation at hand.

“He (Dewald Brevis) has immense talent. I don’t know why he is not able to score runs in the league, but surely he will come out as the best find for South African cricket. It’s just that he needs to calm himself and bat according to the situation. I mean, the T20 World Cup is near, and it’s the best platform to showcase your talent and knock the selectors' door,” Boucher expressed optimistically to IANS in a virtual interaction arranged by SA20.

The challenges faced by Brevis were not solely of his making. The pitches in South Africa proved two-paced, testing the young cricketer's adaptability. His struggles against hard lengths and leg-lined deliveries added to the complexity of his journey.

“He has struggled to get runs in the last couple of games. He’s a very powerful youngster who can hit sixes and take the game forward. The message to him is very clear: Assess the situation, get yourself in,” Boucher added, emphasizing the need for Brevis to read the game and play accordingly.

Brevis's cricketing journey had seen highs and lows, from being named the Player of the Tournament at the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup to making history in the CSA T20 Challenge with the highest T20 score by a South African batsman. His IPL career, although in its early stages, showcased glimpses of his potential, with Mumbai acquiring his services for Rs 3.00 Cr in the 2024 IPL Auction.

When asked on the potential chance of Brevis getting selected for the South Africa T20 World Cup squad, Bounher remained hopeful and said, “I mean he must not be assessed on the performance of SA20 or any T20 tournament, selectors must see the quality of him. The range of shots he has. We talk of Ab De Villiers and he is some where near to him, he must be in the squad.”