Can't bat, can't play? Allrounders take centre stage in Conrad's T20 spin vision

The role of spinners in South African cricket has evolved from optional extras in the mid-90s through mid-2000s to essential, in the form of Imran Tahir in white-ball sides in the 2010s and Keshav Maharaj in Tests for most of the last decade. Now, in the Shukri Conrad white-ball era, they might also be required to do something else: bat.

"It's ideal if you can stack your side with as many allrounders as possible," Conrad said from Darwin, where South Africa will play the first of 20 further T20Is in the lead-up to next year's World Cup. "And when I say allrounders, I mean fully-fledged allrounders: guys that offer quite a lot with the bat, and obviously with the ball as well."

That's why neither Maharaj nor Tabraiz Shamsi, who is South Africa's leading wicket-taker in T20Is, have been included in the T20I squad for the tour of Australia. Instead, Conrad has left-arm spin-bowling allrounders George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy and offspin-bowling allrounder Prenelan Subrayen to choose from. Linde and Muthusamy have spent the bulk of their domestic careers batting at No. 6 or 7 and Subrayen at No. 8 or 9 and all of them have a strike rates above 110.

Maharaj and Shamsi's T20 strike rates both sit below 110, neither is known for their batting prowess, and both also missed out on the T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe last month. That's where Conrad said the spinners he had chosen, Linde and Muthusamy, had the "inside lane" on World Cup selection which suggests Maharaj and Shamsi may not return in this format and it's up to the other three to tussle over who gets the main gig.

For Linde, appearing at a T20 World Cup would be a full-circle moment after he was left out of South Africa's squad for the 2021 tournament despite playing in 11 out of 12 matches in the lead-up to the tournament. At that stage, he had fallen out of favour completely, and out of love with the game until late last year, when Rob Walter, who was then South Africa's white-ball coach, recalled him for a series against Pakistan. After taking career-best figures of 4 for 21 in his comeback match, Linde wiped away tears as he recalled how he struggled with being dropped. Now, back he is keeping his emotions together as the prospect of making his World Cup bow looms.

"It obviously means a lot [to be considered]. It gives you a little bit more confidence and you can play with a little bit more freedom but I don't really think too much ahead," Linde said in Zimbabwe, during the tri-series. "I'm just trying to focus on the process now and if I don't do well and Shuks decides I'm not the guy for him, then so be it. I'm just trying to do my best. If I do well and I'm on that plane to the World Cup, happy days. It's always been a dream of mine to represent South Africa at the World Cup."

Of the three on the Australia tour, Linde is the most consistent batter and has shown an ability to play late-innings cameos. He scored 48 off 24 balls in that comeback game against Pakistan as well as an unbeaten 23 off 15 and a 30 off 20 during the Zimbabwe tri-series. He also has four T20 fifties to his name and big hitting will keep him top of Conrad's mind.

His nearest competitor is Muthusamy, who made his T20I debut in Harare after spending most of the home summer on the bench for the Test side. Muthusamy was happy to bide his time, especially as he has had fairly regular game time in the SA20 over the last three seasons including all 10 group stage matches for the Pretoria Capitals earlier this year.

"It's fantastic to get a crack. I have waited in line and waited my turn and have been integrated into the squad in the last few months, which has been fantastic. That's what carrying drinks brings: an awesome opportunity to grow and to learn and bounce ideas off and to be a part of the group," he said. "And with Pretoria, Adil Rashid was someone that I've managed to spend quite a bit of time with, so just to pick his brain, understand how he goes about it, his thought processes, and the way he dissects what he's trying to do in different conditions is very interesting."

Muthusamy was South Africa's leading spinner in the Zimbabwe tri-series and was carded as high as No. 4 in one of the matches. A score of 7 would not have done much for his cause but he will have opportunities to put that right in the next few weeks.

As for Maharaj and Shamsi?

Maharaj cryptically said at the CSA awards that he "only play[s] two formats now", while Shamsi, who opted out of a national contract last year, is awaiting a discussion with Conrad about his future. When Shamsi was not picked for Zimbabwe, Conrad confirmed he would have talks with him but ahead of these tours also acknowledged he has not yet been able to. Since then, CSA have appointed a new convenor of selectors in Patrick Moroney, whose job it may be to inform the pair of their fate.

But there's time before that needs to be set in stone. South Africa will play three T20Is each against Australia, England and Pakistan, one against Namibia to inaugurate their new stadium, and five each against each of India and West Indies before the T20 World Cup. Whether that many matches is a help or hindrance will depend on results, but it gives Conrad, who is new to the white-ball role, the opportunity to really figure out what the make-up of South Africa's best squad could be.

"I've only been in the job a few months so it's not as if I've had a year or so to look at what potentially is going to be our best squad to go to India," he said. "It's about developing, winning, and then potentially getting to what our best squad is for the conditions in India. So I think these tours have great value for me as a new head coach, for the coaching staff."