Puttick's not panicking as he looks to Tryon, De Klerk to inspire free flow among Proteas' batters

Proteas interim batting consultant Andrew Puttick wants South Africa to play with more freedom in the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup.

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Puttick, who was a renowned Western Province batter and played a solitary ODI for the Proteas, is with the Proteas women as they host Africa's first senior Women's T20 World Cup.

"It's my first full-time sort of gig with the ladies. I've been doing camps for the last few months, so I know most of the girls," Puttick said.

"There's a lot of talent in this group ... if I can just help the girls ... whether it's game plans or technical or mental stuff, I'm here. It's been really cool, though. The girls have embraced having me around, so hopefully it can continue."

The Proteas are currently third in Group A following a loss to Sri Lanka and a win over New Zealand.

Sune Luus' charges face defending champions Australia on Saturday at St George's Park where they will look to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Puttick, who is very familiar with Gqeberha's conditions, says that batters can get rewarded when they face an unbeaten Australian outfit.

"St George's is a very nice cricket arena, it's got a nice tight stadium. The wickets are really good and they've got amazing lights now," said Puttick.

"As a batter, it's somewhere you want to strap your pads on and get out there and do your thing. It's a ground where, if you play good cricket shots, you get rewarded. So yeah, I think we should be really looking forward to playing at St George's."

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The Proteas women have had a mixed start with the bat, scoring 126-9 at Newlands and 132-6 in Paarl. The top order hasn't fired, with