FILE - Proteas Ryan Rickelton is looking to make his mark in all three formats for the Proteas.
Image: Rodger Bosch / AFP
In an era where cricketers playing all three formats of the game are extremely rare, in-form Proteas left-hander Ryan Rickelton looks determined to showcase his skills in all matches for his country.
The 28-year-old batsman is riding high after enduring an Indian summer with the bat. Rickelton scored a sensational 259 in the New Year’s Test match against Pakistan, before having another profitable SA20 League campaign, where he played an instrumental role in helping MI Cape Town clinch the trophy.
Now, with the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on the horizon, Rickelton wants to prove his worth in the One Day International (ODI) format for his country.
Drawing inspiration from the likes of Australia’s Travis Head and India’s Rohit Sharma, he aims to find a consistent method across formats, particularly in the white-ball arena.
“The three-format player thing has faded away; it’s really difficult to fire on all three at the same time,” Rickelton told the ICC, reflecting on the challenges modern cricketers face.
“But if you can identify a method and a way you want to play, especially in the two white-ball groups, that will give you the best chance.
“If you look at the guys doing it really well, your Travis Heads, your Rohit Sharmas, they play consistently in the same way across all formats – especially Travis, he is probably the leader at the moment in terms of three-format play.”
A crucial part of his development as a player has been his relationship with South African cricket legend Hashim Amla, who has mentored Rickelton over the last few years at the Lions and MI Cape Town.
Amla, more known for his exploits in the Test arena, was a brilliant ODI player for the Proteas, breaking many records to end up with 8113 runs, which included 27 centuries at an average of just under 50 in 181 matches.
“I’ve worked a lot with Hashim Amla in the last few years and he has been a phenomenal coach for me,” Rickelton said.
“He was a master of off-side play and he says sometimes when I get a bit excited, I look too leg-side. He’s always encouraging me to open up the off-side a bit more, so he always gets excited when he sees me cover drive.
“He’ll notice things in the nets, he’ll ask me why I was thinking certain things, all the stuff you don’t see on TV.”
Notably, Rickelton's ODI journey began during a tour in Pakistan back in 2021. With another trip to the country on the horizon, he is competing with Tony de Zorzi for the opening slot alongside captain Temba Bavuma.
The Proteas have been looking for a permanent partner at the top of the order alongside Bavuma in ODI cricket following the retirement of Quinton de Kock.
De Kock’s decision to retire left significant shoes to fill, but the 28-year-old Rickelton has come of age after a stop-start beginning to his international career. Now, however, he looks like a shoe-in for the job.
Rickelton, who is fresh from 336 runs at a strike rate of 178.72 in the SA20, is also a player who goes hard at the bowling upfront, playing dashing shots against the new ball in the powerplay.
“This ODI team has been a really difficult one to get into over the past couple of years,” he said.
“Quinny (Quinton de Kock) retiring has opened the door for me to hopefully get a few games as the rest of the order is pretty locked in. It’s a very experienced squad, the guys have played a lot of international cricket together.
“I am sure the guys will be confident and it could potentially be the last one for a lot of the guys, so there’s no doubt they are up for it.”
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