It’s been hardly three weeks into the 4-Day Franchise Series, but we’ve already seen the rise of several superstars. The Imperial Lions have made merry in Division 1 so far, with three wins in three games. An integral element to their success has been the return and ferocity of their pace ace, Duanne Olivier.

At the moment, Olivier is leading the wickets chart with an impressive tally of 20 wickets at an average of 12.30. His time spent in the county circuit for Yorkshire has been very instrumental, and the improvement is clear. Then again, Olivier is appreciative of everyone stepping up to the plate and delivering when required.

“Yeah, cricket is a team sport and in the past three games, the whole bowling unit stood out. In our second game, Sipamla bowled well in the first innings and Magala bowled well in the second innings.

“Every day, you can learn something new and personally, if I can put the team in a good place, we will come out on top. Sometimes we tend to overthink, and it’s not good for you as a player, and I think it’s better to revert to the basics.”

Olivier has always had the reputation as a strike bowler – he did it for the Proteas in the 2018-19 Test series against Pakistan, where he took 24 wickets in 3 games.

At the same time, he knows that versatility is key, and even if wickets don’t come by very frequently, maintaining tight lines and lengths will create pressure for the opposition. Assessing the situation at hand is very important, as the context of the match will define or redefine your role.

“You’ll know when it isn’t your day, and the best way to think of it is to bowl in partnerships. I’ve spoken to Sipamla quite a bit, for example. As a person, you don’t search for opportunities as you can’t get everything right all the time. The beauty of our bowling lineup is how well we complement each other.”

In addition, Olivier has credited his experiences in the UK for becoming a more complete bowler. Even though he naturally prefers the short delivery, bowling regularly with the Dukes ball as well as varying conditions have further enhanced his skillset.

“In South Africa, the short ball works out better, but in English conditions, that isn’t as effective. This season, I’ve been bowling a lot fuller than I usually am, and it took a while to make the necessary adjustments. You can get as much information as you possibly can, and you must plan accordingly. If things don’t work, you can revisit your plan to see what you can do better.”

One of Olivier’s prominent qualities is his self-driven approach. Over the course of the recent few years, he’s had to change his game based on where he’s playing, and he’s done a tremendous job to stay focused on his own game. Some bowlers like to clue themselves in on the opposition batters and do a little SWOT analysis before the game, but Olivier likes to back his strengths no matter what, and that’s been the mantra to raking in truckloads of wickets, day in and day out. 

Be sure to check out the remainder of Olivier’s interview with Khalid Mohidin at Cricket Fanatics Magazine on YouTube.