Nelson Mandela Bay coach Eric Simons acknowledged that focusing on getting to know the individuals in your team is an integral part of making a team and a winning team environment, writes Ongama Gcwabe.

The Mzansi Super League gets underway on Friday 8 November and the MSL coaches all around the country are faced with the challenge of working with players from different domestic franchises and different countries.

The aim will be to build a winning team environment with them in a short space of time.

In a press conference in Port Elizabeth, the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants’ coach Eric Simons acknowledged that focusing on getting to know the individuals in your team is an integral part of building a team and a winning team environment.

“It’s always our first challenge as a coaching unit and the captain, to take sixteen individuals and make a team out of them,” said Simons.

“A lot of the guys now are experienced to do these things. My first objective as a coach is first to learn about my players and understand who they are.

“Once you understand who they are then you can start moving in the right direction. That’s one of the things I learnt coaching around the world.”

“The mistake we make as coaches is to go and try to impose ourselves on the situation, but understanding who each individual is, [that] is an important part of building a team.”

The Giants squad includes the hard-hitting Marco Marais, but also they have Heino Kuhn who is a batsman with the ability to control and pace their innings effectively.

They also announced that Jason Roy will be available for the entire Mzansi Super League campaign.

READ: Jason Roy’s availability boosts Nelson Mandela Bay Giants

Simons explained the importance of having versatility in your batting order in order to succeed in T20 tournaments.

“I think over the years people have learned that the game of T20 cricket is not about hitting the ball over the fence,” he added.

“A lot of it is about how you structure innings and how you put together a chase. Having versatility is very important (in T20 cricket).”

Photo: Nelson Mandela Bay Giants/Twitter