VINCE VAN DER BIJL: SA20 hints at what selectors should look out for

The SA20 tournament has single-handedly resuscitated SA cricket. It was the injection of fun, quality players, insightful commentators plus professional administrators that filled the previous vacuum of cricket enthusiasm. The fans, even including the diehard Test followers, loved it. It was a roaring success with the crowd support last seen in the 1970s. Betway’s innovative one-handed catch challenge was a stroke of genius.

Some takeaways:

• Quality and exciting cricket will generate large crowds.

• Captaincy is king. The four teams in the semifinals had the best captains. T20 requires instinctive and prepared strategies with the patience and courage to handle the pressure moments.

• T20 demands game awareness every ball. It is not a smash and grab game.

• Maturity and temperament are required, as Faf du Plessis reminded us.

• Sheer pace, spin and crafty medium fast bowlers are the real weapons.

The volume and variety of the SA20 and ICC women’s World Cup have raised intriguing debates and opportunities,

One shining example was the performance and influence of Roelof van der Merwe of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape franchise. Warren Kennaugh in his book, Fit, writes that selectors “completely dismiss the impact of personality on performance”.

He writes that the “reasons for high performance remain mysterious, so we focus on talent, behaviour skills, knowledge and experience that an individual brings to the team”. Aiden Markham, the Sunrisers’ captain, singled out Van der Merwe’s positive determination and his influence in the changing-room. It was the deciding factor. Roelof is proof of the importance of personality.

He plays the game with the grit and determination of a bulldog.  He does not fit the criteria of a modern, more flamboyant sports hero, yet he has become one.

The late Bob Willis, as captain of the English Ashes team to tour Australia, knew about this importance. He phoned the late Robin Jackman and told him that he wanted him to tour Australia in his team. Robin told me that Willis explained: “I do not think you will play in the Tests; I want you to be in the engine room of the team with your positive attitude, enthusiasm and humour. The tour is going to be tough, and you will make a huge difference.” What an extraordinary compliment to Jackman’s character and personality.

When we all look back on the successful sporting teams that we have been part of, one or two players stand out. Kevin McKenzie in the Transvaal team was such a man. There was never a cloudy day with him in the team.

Star performers come in all shapes and sizes. Another Sunrisers’ player, Adam Rossington from England is not blessed with the accepted physical shape of an elite athlete. Yet, he was instrumental in the Sunrisers’ SA20 trophy win. In many ways the Sunrisers were a uniquely structured team, reminiscent, as one of their players mentioned, of the Oakland A’s baseball team.

This team is central to Michael Riley’s cult sports book, Moneyball. Bill Beane, the Oakland A’s manager, chose players who were effective as opposed to those who seemed naturally talented. They became champions.

The traditional selection criteria Moneyball suggests was to pick players who had “a good face, a good body and a good swing”.  Beane on the other hand chose players with other specific skills. Baseball selection was never the same again. The Sunrisers team was similarly structured.

The SA20 tournament has had a remarkable effect on some players’ careers. Marco Jansen emerged as an exciting all-rounder. And look out for these names in the future: Eathan Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Gerald Coetzee and George Linde.

The tournament also confirmed that Themba Bavuma is best suited for ODI and Test cricket as a player and captain. Clearly, young Dewald Brevis has the potential to be the best in his generation. He, however, needs to be supported to maturity. Sisanda Magala absorbed the pressure moments, has superb ball control and an experienced game plan. With some fitness fine tuning, he will become a quality cricketer.

Let us not demand overnight brilliance from our young talent. Expectation can kill progress. Anrich Nortjé did not suddenly arrive as the force he is today. Becoming the best takes time.

Selection remains a hot topic in the Protea women’s team. Dane van Niekerk, a previous Protea captain, failed to meet the fitness requirements and was excluded from the team. This raised the question of the suitability of the fitness requirements that have to be met. However, fitness needs to be in a team’s culture and the team’s accepted norm. Then, there will be no debate around the influence of fitness on selection.

There is so much to be excited about. Our women’s monumental win over New Zealand was a special day. We look forward to the rest of the tournament.