Proteas' T20 gun Reeza Hendricks sees light after the sting of T20 World Cup omission

Proteas and Lions top-order batter Reeza Hendricks said his omission from last year's T20 World Cup hurt, but he has been able to process that pain in a positive way.

Being named the Men's International T20 batter of the year at Friday's Cricket South Africa awards in Midrand has certainly helped.

Hendricks didn't get a game at last year's T20 World Cup, where the Proteas flopped spectacularly at the back end of the tour, despite being in hot form.

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His omission was a talking point throughout the tournament after former T20 captain Temba Bavuma came back from injury.

Hendricks' runs were rewarded on Friday, and he was reflective on how he dealt with the pain of omission and how he handled it.

"When you look back and think about it, it does hurt when you think about it," Hendricks said.

"Such is life. That's how things unfolded for me unfortunately. What I could do was control what I could.

"Otherwise, other things are out of my control. Deep down, I think about it because I've experienced it before.

"So, I deal with it a bit better than I did in the past. That mindset helped me get through that, along with the support structure from my family.

"It helped me get through the disappointment and manage things a bit better."

Hendricks has felt the cold hand of omission before. During the 2019 World Cup his runs were bettered by Aiden Markram and he ended up having to stay at home.

But he has remained productive in 50-over cricket for the Lions and hopes he'll be able to get a 50-over look-in before the World Cup squad is announced.

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Hendricks has only featured in one Rob