Wellington, March 22 – After scoring a match-winning 57 to guide South Africa to a series-levelling victory over New Zealand in the fourth T20I, wicketkeeper-batter Connor Esterhuizen said his aim while batting was to wait for the ball and simply try to play according to what was in front of him.
In the Proteas' 19-run victory, Esterhuizen scored his maiden T20I half-century after scoring 45, 8, and 15 in his first three games on the ongoing tour of New Zealand. "In the second game, I might have been a bit too defensive and didn't have as much intent as I could have. And then in the last game, I might have been trying to play a shot off every ball.
"Whereas in this innings, I just tried to play what was in front of me, normal cricket shots, and waited for the ball in my area. That was the only difference," Esterhuizen said in the post-match press conference.
With the first-choice players rested, Esterhuizen has been given a chance to play for the Proteas, and he said the experience so far has been enjoyable. "I've loved every moment of my first tour with the Proteas. The lessons I've learned are probably just how to deal with pressure and scrutiny.
"I don't think anyone can master how to deal with it, but the more you do it, the more accustomed you become to it. That's the main message that coach Shuks (Shukri Conrad) gave us before the tour, especially the newcomers, that we would need to experience the pressure, the scrutiny, and that everything would be looked at through a microscope."
Esterhuizen, who was educated at St John’s College in Johannesburg, was not part of South Africa's age-group sides, but has quickly risen since making his provincial debut for Lions in 2022. He has already represented South Africa A and featured in the SA20 for MI Cape Town and Pretoria Capitals.
"I've tried to take my game to another level. For most people, talent is always there, but it's hard to use that talent and the decision-making that comes with it. That's the key the higher up you go in this game.
"The second thing is just how to deal with failures, because this game is a game of failures. And when you succeed, you need to take it in. How to deal with those failures the higher you go will stand you in good stead," he added.