Cape Town — Tristan Stubbs will resist any temptation to curtail his attacking instincts should he get an opportunity for the Proteas in the upcoming T20I series against India.
Stubbs has been swinging freely ever since he was first seen on the domestic circuit for the Warriors 18 months ago in the CSA T20 Challenge at Kingsmead.
He has not stopped and has been significantly rewarded for his bold approach.
The past two months has seen Stubbs receive an SA ‘A’ call-up, an Indian Premier League contract with the Mumbai Indians, and then the golden ticket to join the senior Proteas Men’s team for their five-match T20I series in India.
It’s been a meteroic rise for a 21-year-old who was still sitting in the stands at St George’s Park with his Nelson Mandela University mates supporting the Proteas Test team just a couple of months ago.
But now the Madibaz BA Marketing student finds himself sharing the same dressingroom with Proteas superstars such as Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada and about to tackle one of the most feared T20 teams in the world on their own patch.
Fortunately, he’s had a taste of the cricket-crazed subcontinent nation recently with the Mumbai Indians and therefore just wants to take it all his stride.
"It has been a crazy few months and getting the call-up to the Proteas was amazing and I am really happy to get this chance. You always want to play against the best to test yourself, so to play against India in India is the best opportunity to test myself against the best and show what I can do,” Stubbs said.
"I don't want to look too far ahead but I just want to make sure I take this opportunity that I have been given and make the most of it and if I do that the rest can take care of itself. I just want to try and enjoy this experience as much as possible."
Stubbs will certainly be hoping he can strike up a similar relationship with Proteas coach Mark Boucher that he enjoys with Robin Peterson at the Warriors.
The former Proteas all-rounder has been instrumental in Stubbs’ development, particularly in terms of the way the youngster approaches each innings.
The results have certainly been forthcoming with Stubbs smashing 293 runs at an average of 48.83 and a strike rate of 183.12 in the last CSA T20 Challenge.
“Robbie P has allowed me to play with so much freedom,” Stubbs said. “We obviously chat about gameplans, but then he just lets me play the situation as best I can to enjoy myself. He gives me the freedom to play.”
The Proteas begin the T20I series against India in Delhi on Thursday.
IOL Sport