BECOME A PATRON

By Khalid Mohidin

Hey, guys! Welcome to Cricket Fanatics Magazine. I would like to welcome you to the first and only fan-driven Cricket publication in South Africa.

I started this venture on 1 July 2019 with a vision to get fans from all walks of life engaged with the game and the personalities in cricket.

We want to tell the untold stories of South African cricket and we want fans to be heard.

Since we started, we covered the Mzansi Super League, Women’s Super League, Proteas Men and Women International Test, ODI and T20I series, as well as school and club cricket, with the aim of providing entertaining, engaging and educational content.

But hasn’t stopped there.

We started a Monthly Magazine where we provide multi-media content, including exclusive features, opinion pieces and analysis.

This works hand-in-hand with our YouTube channel where we produce unique cricket shows that allow fans to call in and have their say. 

We have the Daily Show, which reveals all the major talking points in South African cricket.The Sunday Podcast Show where we sit back, relax and engage with the live chat, answering all the questions fans have about us and the game.

We have Off-Side Maidens, the first ever All-Women’s Cricket Show on YouTube, which helps empower women in cricket and gives them a place to share their own views on not only women’s cricket but all cricket.

We have a Legends show, where we interview all legends in cricket.

To produce all of this, we’ve invested a lot of money, time and effort to bring this to you for free.

But to keep this going we need your help. So we have opened a Patreon account.

Today, we are fortunate that technology has enabled anyone to become a patron of creative work, even if they are not a billionaire.

We have therefore launched a campaign for you as a Cricket Fan to become a patron and support us as an independent, bootstrapped publisher.

As a Patron, you also get your voice heard as a Fan.

Plus: You have the opportunity to become more engaged with the content we produce.

Every month we produce at least:

• 60 Website Articles
• 20 Daily Video Shows
• 4 Weekly Podcasts
• Match Previews
• Match Reviews
• Video Interviews
• And more…

So please join our Patreon campaign today.

Incremental Development - The Migael Pretorius Story

By Abhai Sawkar

It may sound very cliche, but The Caribbean Premier League ended with a bang. The final between the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots and the St. Lucia Kings went down to the wire, and it took a spirited cameo from one of the youngsters to seal the deal.

Such has been the story for most of the tournament, with young newcomers as well as some of the highly experienced T20 cricketers in the world feeling very much at home.

South Africa was pretty well represented in this year's CPL, with three players taking part. Two of them are well-known Proteas stalwarts: former all-format captain Faf du Plessis and the evergreen leg spinner Imran Tahir. But the third player - seam-bowling allrounder Migael Pretorius - also enjoyed the event with plenty of success for a first-timer.

Pretorius hasn't yet played a match at international level, but he has been on the fringes of the Proteas side in more recent times. Initially, he seemed to be a surprise signing, since a lot of the South Africans who play franchise cricket have played some international cricket.

But for Pretorius, T20 leagues have been his launch pad to showcase his skillset and potentially open more doors.

In 2021's CPL, Pretorius claimed 16 wickets in 10 games at a respectable average of 22. His economy rate of 9.54 was a bit on the higher side, but more importantly, he was the go-to strike bowler for the Jamaica Tallawahs skipper, Rovman Powell.

Pretorius boasts reliable returns across all formats, but his improvement in the T20 format has undoubtedly been a highlight. It was a natural format for the quick, as it reminded him of school cricket. He was nurtured well during his early days, and this was a key catalyst for his gradual rise to the top.

"Yeah, we played in T20 competitions at school level. I was fortunate, since we had very good coaches. When I was young, I can't remember a whole lot. I wasn't necessarily thinking of playing cricket after school. The kids these days learn a lot more than I did when I was playing cricket."

Now, T20 cricket requires a wide spectrum of skills, especially for seamers. In the longer format, you often see the quicks maintain a consistent line and length, but the shortest format demands more variations, since batters have now become more and more creative with their strokeplay over time.

"First of all, I love playing all formats," said Pretorius. "Personally, I feel Mark Charlton [my provincial coach] was the one who forced me to learn more about the game. In Bloem, AD (Allan Donald) has been a very steady coach and has a very good cricketing brain. It's very important to have the right mindset and approach when it comes to training."

Pretorius has been a frequent feature in the CSA T20 Challenge - he was part of the Lions side that won the 2018-19 tournament and more recently, he relocated to the Knights. Interestingly enough, he hasn't played in the Mzansi Super League, South Africa's new flagship T20 league. However, the 2021 CPL has provided priceless experience for the 26-year-old.

"Well, I haven't played a whole lot of local T20 cricket in SA. I've learned plenty from guys like Farhaan Behardien and Shaun von Berg. Trial and error has been a big part of my learning process."

Signing up with the Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL was more than just a pleasant surprise. It was a goal that Pretorius was tirelessly working toward. His methodical outlook as well as his burning aspiration to deal with and excel in challenging assignments has proven to be very handy.

"Right, I was ready to come and play. I wasn't aware of the conditions, but I knew people who have played here. Initially, it was a struggle to adjust but I was very happy to get the call. As soon as I got here, I was preparing for what was to come. It's been a fun tournament, and I'd love to get back here again next time."

The CPL call came at such an opportune juncture for Pretorius, and he's had the privilege of playing alongside and against some of the best in the business in T20 cricket.

"Playing with them [the superstars] is nice, but when you're on the field, they're like any other players to learn new things from. Everyone's very down-to-earth, and ultimately we all play to win. It's great to chat with everyone and share ideas.

"In the Caribbean, everyone goes hard and they don't care if they get out, which is a good thing. Learning from them was memorable for me. I write down a lot of things that I learn, and it'll be nice to bring these things back home."

All-rounders in T20 cricket are a highly on-demand commodity. There aren't too many players who can regularly take wickets as well as hit a long ball down the order. The Proteas have struggled to consistently finish innings on a high, and Pretorius has been tipped as a potential solution.

He's primarily a bowler, but during the 2020-21 domestic season, his batting began to improve to a point where he'd be considered a bowling allrounder. The repeated calls for his inclusion in the Proteas setup has been very humbling, and he's expressed his gratitude.

"I've concentrated on my batting for the past year and a half. During the early part of my career, I didn't really take my batting that seriously and it's proven costly. When it comes to finishing, speaking to guys like Carlos [Brathwaite] and Dre Russ [Andre Russell] has been an eye-opener.

"I'll share some of the tips to the guys back home. I'm thrilled to hear that folks are backing me. Honestly, it's something that's not in my control. At the end of the day, I just want to do the best I possibly can."

Going back to bowling, sometimes the learning curve in T20 cricket can be a bit tricky. It heavily depends on how quickly players can adapt and on multiple occasions, think outside the box.

Quicks like Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Anrich Nortje have had to constantly modify their game plan to be able to succeed in all formats of the game.

The T20 game can be harsh at times, especially for bowlers who send down the death overs. Even the slightest miss in length will result in a boundary, and it just goes to show that death bowling requires a robust combination of accuracy and reproducibility.

"I've been trying to slow down my slower deliveries. We didn't really have much time to train here. Heading into next year, I'll do more to prepare for what I want to do differently. I know that I have to bowl to my field as best as I can.

"Mentally, you need to have a couple of stock deliveries that you know won't go for a boundary. If you can plan ahead of time and start learning to practice, you'll improve your game quickly. You need to think like you're the captain, since you want to put together a game-changing performance."

When asked about his favorite moment in the CPL, Pretorius chose to bring up a rather difficult outing. It's an excellent argument, since some of your relatively frustrating returns can serve as a strong motivating factor.

We've seen it with team India, when they got bowled out for 36 in the first Test against Australia, and then came roaring back to take the series despite having multiple mainstays out of the picture due to injuries.

With Pretorius, it's no different. His active-learning approach and his general modus operandi is something that everyone can learn from. Whenever things don't quite go your way, you can't continue to dwell in the frustration and anguish and let that get the better of you.

"Well, I got smashed quite a bit, but it was the last over to Pollard which was the biggest learning curve I had there. I felt that my back was against the ball, since nothing seemed to be working. I just had to relax and step back a bit, but I didn't. And I got hit for extra runs as a result."

The CPL has been the ideal T20 experience for Migael Pretorius. As expected, for someone who played for the first time there, it was a bit of a mixed bag.

His tournament was studded with strong displays as well as a couple of forgettable games. But most importantly, he has found a way to create a favourable first impression despite not having enough time to acclimatize to the conditions on offer.

Even though he has plenty of domestic success back at home, this has been a watershed phase of his career.

He's been part of a Test and a T20I squad to date, but performances abroad like these have successfully amplified his progress and it's fair to say that it's only a matter of time until we see him regularly playing for South Africa.

Coaches Must Allow Freedom in T20 Cricket

By Lubabalo Skhosana

As much as many of us would like to believe that we are “purists” of the game, there is really no denying T20’s significance within modern-day cricket. It has a huge influence on the following of cricket and on how the game is played.

Over the years we have witnessed a more offensive brand of cricket with the bat from most sides. We have witnessed more totals in excess of 400 scored in 50-over matches and more scores north of 200 posted and - on occasion - chased down in the 20/20 format. 

T20 cricket may not be as old as the other formats of the game but it is rapidly growing and becoming the format everyone wants to watch. There are a few countries that we believe have not gotten it right yet.

Yes, these countries do win T20 matches but will generally struggle against the better T20 sides in the world. 

South Africa is one of those countries and here are a few key areas that can be improved in order to improve T20 Cricket in the country. The majority of South African players do not play a lot of T20 cricket unless they are able to land an IPL contract or get to play in other domestic leagues.

This is evident in the slow evolution of SA cricket and the slow progress of T20 cricket. Our players are not playing enough of the format and thus aren’t developing their T20 game as expected.

This is due to the fact that our tournaments in general have fewer teams and  because we have fewer teams we tend to have fewer international or rather foreign players and we all know they boost the standard of tournaments.

This is a point that was also made by Leus du Plooy. 

“The tournaments are both very competitive and extremely fun to play in. The only clear difference is that the Blast has more teams (18) compared to the Ram Slam (6) and generally more overseas players per team than the Ram Slam,” Du Plooy observed. 

The Ram Slam has since been scrapped but the MSL and the CSA T20 Challenge. 

Another contributing factor is the culture of cricket in SA and how we play cricket as a country. For a number of years now, I felt that we needed to take the England Cricket route in that we need to re-establish how we want to play as a country and how we want to coach the next generation of cricketers.

Modern cricket is about being a bully, asserting yourself on opposition and taking the game away from them very early. But the South African way of play is more around being cautious: Focusing on trying not to lose instead of trying to win. 

The fact that the majority of South Africans believe that a T20 side needs an anchor is full proof of how behind we are as a country in a format that is about scoring fast and scoring big.

Our approach is still built around keeping wickets. Many of our youngsters are also not coached to play to their strengths and with freedom. This is something that hampers the growth and development of our T20 cricket because (especially when batting) its is about being fearless and ruthless.

Many of our T20I batsmen have very high dot-ball percentages and this format requires one to have a very low to negligible dot-ball percentage. 

When asked what makes a good T20 side, Du Plooy stressed the need for coaches to allow players to play their natural game in order to deliver the desired results for the team.

“I think a strong T20 side backs their players to play the brand they want to individually, given that they practice the way they want to play. The brand needs to fit in with the team's end goal. This brand needs to remain consistent through defeat and victory.”

While many people may like to believe that T20 cricket is just about closing your eyes and hitting the ball as far as possible, it is important to note that the format is a game for thinkers. Those who have the ability to think on their feet and use conditions to their advantage are generally the ones that tend to win. 

When batting and playing on a massive field for example, it would be very handy to keep the strike rotating in the form of singles and 2s etc. It is very important for T20 players to be able to read conditions and always be aware of their surroundings. 

“To be able to assess the conditions and situation as quickly as possible and execute the best ball/shot at that moment accordingly. I’d say adaptability is a key attribute in T20, because of its fast-paced nature; ultimately two good/bad overs could win/lose you the game.”

“We must stick to what we have as a unit” -Hardus Viljoen

By Ongama Gcwabe

The 2021/22 cricket season is finally upon us.

The governing body in the country announced that the men’s domestic season will get underway with the Provincial T20 Knockout Competition which will run up until the 22nd of October.

Division One Provincial teams were announced earlier in the year and South African cricket will see quite a few faces returning to our domestic set up.

Hardus Viljoen is among the names expected to feature in Division One.

For this issue, I will focus on the squad Boland Cricket has put together for this season and one player in particular - Hardus Viljoen.

“We’ve got a great squad and a great coaching staff. It’s an exciting bunch of guys with experience and youngsters, it’s a great balance,” Hardus Viljoen told Cricket Fanatics Magazine.

This is arguably the most exciting team with a lot of potential on paper. The squad has a superb mixture of specialists to cater for all three formats of the game.

Kyle Abbott and Stiaan van Zyl have been in sublime form in County Cricket, particularly in 4-Day cricket. Viljoen will join forces with these two this season for Boland.

Knowing the level of support the Boland community offers, expectations will be high for the coming season.

“It’s always exciting to play with those types of guys, they bring a lot to the table. If we play well as a team and if we put in the hard yards now in the offseason, the rewards will come on their own. We must stick to what we have as a unit, play to our strengths and back our skills as a team,” Alluded Viljoen.

“I think most of us know how to play at Boland. One of our strengths is that we know how to win there because obviously most of the guys have been part of Paarl Rocks when we won the MSL [Mzansi Super League] as well. I think that’s a big advantage for us going into the season,” he added.

Since making his Test debut in 2016, in which he took the wicket of Alastair Cook with his very first delivery, Viljoen hasn’t featured for the Proteas in any other format.

Instead, the fast bowler took his trade to World Cricket to become a free agent the way the likes of Chris Morris have done.

READ: “I THOUGHT THEY NEVER WANTED ME.”- Hardus Viljoen

I asked Viljoen about the benefits of playing T20 cricket around the world and the necessary changes one needs to make in order to ensure success.

“It’s your skill set that changes a lot because you’re playing in different parts of the world. In the Caribbean there are different wickets and different opposition that you’re up against every single week so the skill sets change a lot.

“The PSL [Pakistan Super League] has the best bowling in the world and then there’s the IPL [Indian Premier League] where the batting becomes world class so each and every tournament has its own trials so it requires a different approach.”

This new Boland squad will be favourites going into the new season and I believe Viljoen will be key to the team’s success.

“We must stick to what we have as a unit, play to our strengths and back our skills as a team.

“Just for us to go out and play cricket again is a nice thing to have and we’re fortunate we get to play. I’m looking forward to all formats at the moment but 4-Day Cricket especially.”

Boland take on the Warriors on October 4th at the Kimberly Oval, in what will be the first Group D fixture.

Pool A

Date: 24-26 September

Venue: Kimberley

Teams: Northern Cape Heat (2), SWD (2), Lions (1), Western Province (1)

Pool B

Date: 28-30 September

Venue: Bloemfontein

Teams: Mpumalanga Rhinos (2), Tuskers (2), Knights (1), Titans (1)

Pool C

Date: 08-10 October

Venue: Bloemfontein

Teams: Eastern Storm (2), SA U19s, North West Dragons (1), Dolphins (1)

Pool D

Date: 04 - 06 October

Venue: Kimberley

Teams: Eastern Cape Inyathi (2), Limpopo Impalas (2), Warriors (1), The Rocks (1)

Q&A: Baakier Abrahams on T20 Cricket

By Nasri Alexander

What qualities do you look for in a player when it comes to T20 cricket?

If you look at the many T20 leagues, certain trends are developing which guides you to some of the qualities or characteristics a modern-day T20 player should possess. This is in no way an exhaustive list but some of the qualities I would look for:

I.) Scarce skills - genuine pace, left-arm seamers, wrist spinners and some characteristic that is different to the norm like a mystery spinner or different action.
II.) Physical build of the player as an indicator of power.
III.) A player that shows good hand speed which guides you to finding suitable game plans and develop role clarity.
IV. A player that is coachable and open to being challenged both in training habits and thinking.

When working with young bowlers what are specific areas that you look to improve to get them ready for the T20 game?

Skills development – look at a players existing strengths and add new skills to broaden game plans and options for different conditions and different types of batters. Types of skills developments could be new slower deliveries or delivering Yorkers:

I. Assessing batters strengths and developing game plans accordingly.
II. Strategy when it comes to field setting and construction of their over.

When working with young opening batters what are specific areas that you look to improve to get them ready for the T20 game?

Maximising the power play has always been a key component of the T20 game. There are 2 aspects to focus on when coaching young batters, skills and mental development. Many of these young players already have great talent and skillsets, one of the fundamental areas to improve on is the attitude and mindset required to play T20 cricket.

It’s such a fun format to express oneself so having a positive mindset is an important component in transferring pressure. A player should still be held accountable but as coaches, we use preparation methods and understanding of the why, as tools to negate the “perceived risks” of playing in this manner and ensure players are mentally freed from the burden that tends to go with playing this brand of cricket

When working with young big-hitters or all-rounders at No 5/6/7 how do you help prepare them mentally and technically so that they can fire in the last couple of overs consistently when setting a total and chasing? And deal with the pressures of a collapse?

Young big hitters/all-rounders at 5/6/7 have to deal with a lot more pressure moments and it’s important they embrace that pressure. I think knowing oneself and what skills training/ tactical acumen/mental prep you need to thrive in those situations can nullify a lot of the pressures that come with batting in the middle order. I remember listening to Ashwell Prince and he often spoke about how a player must want to step into that pressure space and make it their own.

Does South Africa’s MSL and Domestic Competitions prepare our players well enough for the World Stage?

I think playing in the MSL/domestic T20 competition is a great platform but it’s not enough in terms of volume. What will really elevate a players preparation is more game time to gain the necessary experience and reference points to better understand the format and stay in tune with modern trends in the format.

It’s great to see the likes of Migael Pretorius in the CPL/Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen in the IPL along with the other regular Protea players. It will be interesting to do a stat of the total number of T20 matches each countries players have played and see where the Protea squad match up. I am sure the likes of England/West Indies/India will be the most capped.

How important is the mental side of the game particularly in T20 cricket?

It’s a very important component in the make-up of a modern-day cricketer. With the current pandemic, mental health is such a challenge and will have impacts on players.

Access to information and social media presents a constant opportunity for criticism so it’s not easy for players and staff alike. I think the types of authentic conversations you have with a player to create an environment that is safe for a player to express themselves is important.

I try and find the sweet spot between the burden of performance and borderline don’t care about the result but do the right things in preparation to follow a process for success. Inevitably, the desire is always to WIN in High-performance sport but you can navigate your way towards that in a calm and relaxed manner.

When selecting the composition of a T20 team, do coaches tend to look for more players with all-round packages instead of specialists like in other formats?

Refer to point 1. A mix between specialists and all-rounders is required to balance the necessary skill set required in T20 cricket to be successful. There is a lot of data that can be used to construct your squad selection so that’s where the planning phase plays such an important role.

Adrian Birrell 

Adi Birrell started coaching in a very different era, in the 1980s. He was 24 and things were very different back then. 

So, it's safe to say he has seen it all.

From coaching kids without equipment and proper facilities in the townships to taking Ireland to the 2007 World Cup and then now at Hampshire County Cricket Club, Birrel has coached at every level.

We chat about his journey, his philosophy and beliefs.