Grey High cricketer Luke Beaufort said representing the national side was a dream come true and would jump at the chance to be part of the South African U19 set up again if given the opportunity.
Despite results not going the way the team would have liked, 17-year-old Luke believes their plans were very well structured, despite the challenges they faced on the tour.
“Our coaching staff was quite experienced so each one of them had a role to play in our preparation and with the experience of the coach and his assistant, our plans were well-executed. We just did not do it consistently enough.
“I would say it was our decision-making that let us down in key moments. But overall, I think we did fairly well. We made a few mistakes on what the best option was for the situation, but if we had started the tour the way we had ended it, it could have been even more enjoyable for us,” he said.
Going up against the current U19 world champions India, Luke said he knew they would bring the best out of the team.
“We knew they would come at us hard and make us play at our best in order to get a result.
“I thought India were a great team, they really tested us quite a bit, but we definitely showed some guts to play the way we did and even though we did not get the results we wanted, it was still an unforgettable experience,” he said
Asked about playing in subcontinent conditions, Luke said it was not what they might have expected.
“It was much hotter there, so we really had to conserve our energy and use it wisely, but generally, I think we adapted very well to the playing conditions, as the pitches did not turn as much as we thought they would.
“Some pitches were similar to pitches we have played on back home, in that they were green which made the ball come onto the bat quite nicely in the beginning. We did have a tough time getting to grips with the spinners, as they were very consistent in their lines and lengths,” he explained.
Playing on his first tour, Luke said being with such an experienced coaching staff only served as a learning curve for him as a player.
“I think my decision-making really improved a lot by the end of the tour. At the beginning I was quite nervous but being with them for a month helped me improve and I learnt a lot more than I thought I would,” he added.
About the experience off the field, Luke concluded that the friendships made on the tour would last a lifetime.
“I think the brotherhood between the boys was really cool and I am so proud of how we had bonded by the end of the tour as a lot of us had come in as strangers to each other when we were first brought together,” he said.