Mulder, who captained the SA U19 team as a junior player, will lead the Test squad for the first time.
In-form all-rounder Wiaan Mulder could perform even better with the additional pressure of leading the national squad, according to head coach Shukri Conrad, when the Proteas face Zimbabwe in the second match of a two-Test series in Bulawayo starting on Sunday.
Mulder played a key role for the under-strength SA team in their 328-run victory over Zimbabwe in the first Test which concluded on Tuesday.
He took 4/50 with the ball in Zimbabwe’s first innings, and in South Africa’s second innings he made 147 runs — his second Test century — after being pushed up the order.
With multiple senior players being rested for the series, Keshav Maharaj captained the Proteas in the first Test (in the absence of regular skipper Temba Bavuma) but Maharaj had picked up a groin strain and it was confirmed this week that Mulder would captain the side in the second match.
Of the 14 players in the second-string SA squad, which included nine individuals who had played only 13 Tests between them, only Kyle Verreynne (with 26 Test caps) had more experience than Mulder, who had 20 Tests under his belt.
Conrad felt it would be a good opportunity for Mulder, who captained the SA U19 team as a junior player, to lead the senior side for the first time.
“I think he’s obviously on top of his game at the minute. He’s captained teams during his youth days and he’s shown some really good leadership qualities,” Conrad said.
“I think this is part of his journey, where he’s starting to take more responsibility in the side, and we’ve seen him do a lot of that in this series thus far, so I think it will be a great opportunity for Wiaan to grow into becoming a leader in this group.”
Improved performance expected
With Mulder having shone in the first Test against the hosts, Conrad believed he would stand up again in the series decider, despite the additional pressure.
“He’s got all the attributes, and I think the more responsibilities I give him, the better Wiaan reacts,” Conrad said.
“So I think we’ll see increased and improved performances because he thrives on that responsibility.”
