But with Mpitsang confirming Bavuma would open – “that’s a role he has played in the last year or so” – Markram might continue to be a middle-order option.
Hendricks and Rossouw, meanwhile, could play crucial roles in that top order too, even though it might be tricky to fit all the excellent options in, with de Kock and Miller in the mix too.
“We’ve seen the impact of all the players that have come back from Kolpak. We’ve seen the impact they’ve had on our system,” Mpitsang said. “They bring maturity, they know their games. The roles Rilee played against England was great to see. He threw the first punch when we were under pressure. We hope he continues that good form in the World Cup.
“We saw Reeza opening the batting in India with Temba batting at three. Rilee has done a great job at three in England. So we need to see how to balance the top-order.”
“Wayne gives us a different variation upfront, and his performances with the new ball and at the death,” Mpitsang explained. “The way Pretorius has bowled at the middle and the end has stood out. A guy like Andile [Phehlukwayo] had a good run. It’s a good back-up to have.”
It might have ended up being a toss-up between Stubbs and Brevis, with Brevis losing out.
“We’ve seen how versatile Tristan Stubbs is. The way he has finished innings has been very impressive,” Mpitsang said. “He is young, he is exciting, he is fearless and not only has he showed it at international level but also domestically. He has ticked the boxes. There is enough experience there to guide him if needs be.”
South Africa are in Group 2 in the main round of the T20 World Cup, with Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and two qualifiers.