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Johannesburg - Proteas' batsman JP Duminy believes young wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock has the potential to become a genuine Twenty20 cricket match winner.
De Kock has recently been in superb form for South Africa, and will get another opportunity to showcase his talent in Friday’s second and final T20 against Pakistan at Newlands.
South Africa’s T20 team have been riding the crest of the wave recently, with successive series victories over Sri Lanka and Pakistan away.
Victory on Friday in Cape Town will be the third series in a row for Faf du Plessis and his team.
After a difficult start to his international career in Sri Lanka, De Kock has blossomed of late, leading Duminy to believe the 20-year-old could join the "Master Blasters" of the world circuit.
"We have players who can do it [win games single-handedly]," Duminy said at Newlands on Thursday.
"Look at AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock, they have the potential to be match-winners. They’ve done it before."
De Kock will certainly add to his growing reputation with another blistering innings.
Considering the ease with which he reached the boundary at the Wanderers during his quick-fire 46 off 33 balls on Wednesday evening, the 20-year-old is certainly in good form.
However, Duminy was quick to stress that the current success the Proteas T20 team enjoyed was not due to individual brilliance, but a growing team spirit.
"We want to improve as team all the time. We were a bit below-par at the Wanderers after losing our way a bit after a good start.
"We’re very process driven as a team at the moment, and concentrating on doing well as a team.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has suffered six straight defeats to the Proteas and desperately needs one of their senior players like Mohammed Hafeez, Shahid Afridi or Saeed Ajmal to create a bit of magic to lift the mood.
It is not beyond this Pakistan team to spring a surprise, which would be true to their tradition of playing their best cricket when the odds are stacked against them.
A possible way to put South Africa under pressure would be to get the hosts to chase under the Newlands lights, which has been notoriously difficult this summer.
The Proteas have had first use of the batting conditions, and it could provide a true test of how far this team has come if they are required to haul in a target.
South Africa have released batsman Henry Davids from their squad ahead of this match, which means there will be at least one change to the line-up that won by four runs by the Duckworth-Lewis method at the Wanderers on Wednesday evening.
