As a slow left-armer, Peterson provides a useful contrast to the abundance of pacemen in the South African team.
The Eastern Province cricketer was on the fringes of the national squad for several years before being flown in especially for the 2002 Champions Trophy semi-final against India.
He failed to shine in his debut and took just three wickets in a further five outings before being included in the World Cup squad. Though he made his Test debut in 2003 against Bangladesh, taking five wickets and scored 61, he has since played mainly for the one-day side.
Expectations are still riding high that it is only a matter of time until Peterson lives up to his promise for the Proteas.
Although he has not yet made a mark with his batting,four first-class centuries suggest he could prove a useful tailender.