Malan Aims for Proteas Comeback After Two-Year Hiatus

Despite being out of the South African national team for two years, former Proteas prodigy Janneman Malan remains hopeful of making a return. The top-order batsman, who was named the ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year and earned a spot in the ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year in 2022, has experienced a dip in form since those accolades.

Malan, now 28, debuted for South Africa in T20 Internationals in 2019 and in One-Day Internationals the following year. Despite being dropped from the team in 2022 due to a lean period, he still holds an impressive ODI average of 47, with four half-centuries and three centuries to his name.

His last appearance for South Africa came in the 2022 ODI series against India, where he managed only 62 runs across three matches. That year saw his overall performance dip, with just 235 runs at an average of 26—well below his career numbers. Reflecting on his form, Malan admitted, "I was struggling a bit, and a few factors came together at that time. There were a couple of series where I didn’t perform, and it just happened that I hit a rough patch."

He acknowledged that the Proteas selectors had to explore other options, given his inconsistency. "I respect that they had to make decisions, and other players were stepping up with runs," he said. "At the end of the day, I didn’t score enough runs, and it’s as simple as that."

However, Malan is determined to turn things around and make a comeback. "If I can regain confidence in my abilities and enjoy the game again, I still want to play at the highest level. For now, though, I’m focusing on rediscovering my love for the game, which I’ve been missing in recent years," he added.