Zubayr Hamza is not putting too much pressure on himself to play Test cricket again

Lions top-order batter Zubayr Hamza expressed his ambition of playing Test cricket again but emphasised that he is not putting too much pressure on himself to achieve that goal.

Hamza is fresh off a sparkling fourth innings First-Class century for South Africa ‘A’ against New Zealand ‘A’ in Potchefstroom last week, a feat that would have certainly put him in the national selectors and Test coach's radar.

With the century, the 30-year-old has improved his odds of breaking into the Test team for the upcoming series in Pakistan, especially with the uncertainty of the availability of Proteas Test captain Temba Bavuma and top-order batter Tony de Zorzi due to injuries.

Hamza expressed his ambitions of playing Test cricket again but emphasised that he is not putting too much pressure on himself.

“They’re (the ambitions) definitely there. It's not ambitions that I put too much pressure on myself to achieve,” said Hamza.

“It (the century) meant a lot. Unfortunately, it was in a losing cause. I would have liked to have still carried my bat. But it's always nice to score runs and especially to score hundreds. I think that's where you can make a statement. Hopefully, there's more to come this coming season.”

Hamza’s century in Potchefstroom was in vain as South Africa ‘A’ lost that match and the series. However, the South Africa ‘A’ side got valuable experience against a strong New Zealand ‘A’ team.

For Hamza, who has not played for South Africa ‘A’ in two years, there was an adjustment factor in that he was joining an already settled team and one that had returned from a successful trip to the Caribbean earlier this year.

“Obviously, having been out of the A side for two years and then coming back, I was finding a balance of am I trying to prove myself again, fitting into the environment that was somewhat stable already that had just come from the tour of the West Indies,” Hamza said.  

“A lot of the guys that were in the team I'd played against or played with in the past. So, I think it was an easy transition into the setup or the squad.

“Also, with different coaches, it has a different dynamic every time you play. But all in all, it was a good experience. It was a tough two Four-Day games, and unfortunately, we lost.

“But with the idea or thought that there are more A series coming up, I think it's a good stepping stone for that specific group of players going forward.”

With the 2025/26 season right around the corner, Hamza is looking to continue improving his game and helping the Lions win trophies.

“Improve myself on a daily basis, apply my trade for the Lions and hopefully do well as a team. We've got fantastic coaches and a really strong competitive squad. So, on a day-to-day basis, things are competitive and the intensity is at quite a high level,” said Hamza.

“So, the standards we set ourselves are nothing but the highest we could possibly achieve, and we work towards that every day. 

“From an individual and a team perspective, I think it helps a lot to have the competition within the side to push each other to be better every day, to perform with bat and ball, and hopefully win as many games as we can.”