Over the last year, George Linde was on a mission to prove to South African selectors that he is a three-format player, his efforts were rewarded when he picked up Cricket South Africa’s 4-Day Cricketer of the Year, writes Khalid Mohidin.
The first time I saw George play, it was his batting that stood out to me. I was sitting at a Cobras practice session and watched as he slammed straight drives with power and precision to cries of “Amazing Fella; Gun shot Georgie” from Cobras assistant coach Faiek Davids.
He followed this up with some quality spin bowling, testing the players and not letting many fly past him. This was in 2017, George was 25 and still trying to prove to national selectors that he had the talent to succeed.
I’ve followed his career quite closely from there on out and saw him become an integral part of the Cobras squad, in all three formats. But it still seemed like all the talk was around his white-ball game.
It might have come as a shock to many that it was in red-ball cricket that he would represent his country for the first time and that his performances in red-ball cricket for the Cobras was responsible for his first CSA Award in his career.
“Winning the 4-Day Player of the Season was obviously a massive honour for me because I didn’t play a lot of 4-Day cricket, so the season before I had to look at myself and show South Africa, and also the national selectors, that I can play red-ball cricket as well. That I’m not just a white-ball specialist,” Linde said exclusively to Cricket Fanatics Magazine.
“So that was my main goal last season to show everyone that I can play red-ball cricket and I felt that I did that. I hope that the selectors now see that I can play all formats, not just maybe one or two formats.
“That’s always been my goal, to be able to put my name in the hat for all three formats for the Proteas.
“I also had to prove other people wrong because I’ve been sitting on the sidelines for four years without gaining an opportunity and when that opportunity came, I couldn’t let that go past. I couldn’t give that opportunity to someone else. I had to take it with both hands.”
He did exactly that. In his debut Test match in India, he took 4 wickets. He then came back to domestic cricket and hit his maiden Franchise century for the Cobras, against the Warriors at Newlands and then hit another ( 148 not out) not too long after against the Titans at the same ground.
He also finished the 4-Day competition with 30 wickets in 6 matches, a remarkable season for the 28-year-old.
The performance in this competition also proved his ability as an all-rounder.
“That’s also my advice to others. Never give up on something you really want. Although one of my special performances was probably my first 10-wicket haul in Cobra colours, my most favourite is when I scored my first hundred for the Cobras at Newlands probably my favourite ground in the world and in the country,” Linde added.
“That was my most special moment because I had to prove myself as an all-rounder as well because I know I’ve got the ability to change the game with the bat as well. And I can add a lot of value with the ball.
“I feel like I can play in that number seven, or eight for South Africa. I believe I can even higher than seven or eight. And I really want to show the electors once again, that I can play all formats and put my hand up for the upcoming series’ to come.”
