Gbets Rocks wicket-keeper-batsman Clyde Fortuin, who recently came off a productive round of T20 games in the CSA National T20 tournament, shares his journey on the Daily Show.

“I’ve always wanted to hit sixes,” Fortuin said.

Fortuin spent significant periods of time honing his power game with Christiaan Jonker.

Playing at Boland Park, one of the largest grounds in South Africa, helped Fortuin’s game because it instilled a sense of confidence that if he could clear the Boland Park boundaries comfortably, he could hit sixes anywhere in the country.

“If you can hit a six at Boland Park, you can basically hit a six anywhere in the country,” explained Fortuin.

When asked about how Fortuin expands his repertoire of shots, he said, “It’s definitely something you have to work on. That’s what pre-season is for. My pre-season is about learning new stuff, but also not being reckless about it. It’s about understanding your game and just tweaking little things.”

Given that batting against spin has been a much-discussed subject in South African cricket. “We’ve got 3-4 quality spinners. Facing them in the nets on turning wickets does help.” Fortuin added, “Knowing when to take a spinner on and when not to take a spinner on. The conditions will play a role in that. The ball is turning square, probably best not to take the spinner on.”

With data becoming a vital part of cricket, Fortuin said he didn’t work with analysts much on his white-ball game, as opposed to the red-ball game. Being a wicket-keeper, however, has helped Fortuin’s game because he has the ideal view of the nature of the pitch.

The wicket-keeper’s view of the game allows Fortuin to pick up on hints that players in the outfield may not be able to grasp. Apart from the benefit to his own batting, Fortuin communicates his observations to the rest of the team as well.