How you can help PROMOTE SA Cricket

By Khalid Mohidin

A very special announcement that I believe will change the face of the way cricket is supported in South Africa.

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 today.

“I always play fearlessly” – Dewald Brevis

By Ongama Gcwabe

Mumbai Indians and Titans Cricket batter, Dewald Brevis, expressed how the support and the backing from everyone at Mumbai propelled him to excel in the biggest of all stages in domestic T20 cricket.

The 19-year-old Dewald Brevis has been on every cricket fan’s mind ever since the U19 World Cup earlier this year. When he was picked in the first round of the IPL Mega Auction for a whopping R6 Million by Mumbai Indians, there were no surprises.

ALSO READ: “I’ll always be ready for international cricket” – Dewald Brevis

Brevis lived up to the expectations and showed what he can do at a big stage and who he can potentially become with proper guidance and support.

The youngster credited his MI teammates, staff members and the skipper Rohit Sharma for the backing which then translated to him playing his own game and doing well in his very first season at the IPL.

“The setup and everything at MI (Mumbai Indians) are really so amazing because there are so many people and support around you,” said Brevis.

“I believed in the coaches and everyone, that they would plan my career and everything perfectly for me. I put my trust in them and believed that they would make the right decisions for me. Rohit Sharma and them, wanted me to be true to my game and the way I want to play.

“I always play fearlessly and embrace the moment. Later on in the tournament, I had to learn to maybe go a gear down and adjust a bit. That’s all a part of learning.”

For a young man playing in only his second senior men’s tournament, Brevis needed reassurance and backing from everyone around him.

Most importantly, he needed to be backed to go out in the middle and enjoy himself and play his own style or brand of cricket.

In a tournament like the IPL, not only your teammates and management can provide tips or nuggets that would help your game and your career.

Players and staff from the opposition teams also usually have a few words of advice to share, especially to a prodigy of the calibre of Brevis.

For Brevis, KL Rahul gave him advice that he says will stay with him for a long time to come.

“For me, I believe in my strengths, I won’t go away from those. If I fail, it’s a part of life, it happens. It’s important to be yourself. KL Rahul told me this,” said Brevis.

“He told me the way you play is great and you shouldn’t change anything about who you are because that’s how you will succeed. Obviously, being fearless also means being smart about your fearlessness,” he concluded.

The youngster is now back home in South Africa and will soon join the Titans team for the off-season preparations.

One can only assume that the coaching staff, teammates and everyone involved at Northerns Cricket will follow the blueprint that the Mumbai Indians started in order to create an environment in which this youngster and many others will thrive.

"Trial and error has been a big part of my learning process"

By Abhai Sawkar

It may sound very cliche, but the 2021 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 that CPL campaign, 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 provided priceless experience for the then 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.

‘We are ruining the game’ – Omar Henry

By Marc Jacobson

In light of T20 cricket becoming a global money-spinner worldwide, South African cricket legend Omar Henry hints that the game has become fickle and therefore it needs to be managed precariously according to its different formats.

Henry, who played provincial cricket in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, said the game today is facing challenges in the sense that the different formats are imposing one another, whereas, as a collective, each should build the game up instead.

“Originally, Test cricket was the name of the game, before ODI cricket came and then T20s. Now we’re sitting with a challenge of how we should manage the game of cricket in terms of how it has evolved,” Henry told Cricket Fanatics Magazine.

“This is not just about playing the game – this is about marketing and financing the game,” he said, adding that he believes ICC are not particularly doing their part to lead the game either.

“India controls the game,” Henry said.

“Where are the numbers and where is the money? Do we make peace with that and try to bargain with India with the best possible deal for global cricket to grow or do we allow India to dominate the scenario?

“With T20 cricket, India grabbed it and got everything to their advantage. Now every other country is introducing it (T20 leagues).”

Henry, who played for the Proteas at the age of 40 in the twilight of his career, said in this respect South Africa has “fallen way behind due to their own misgivings and incompetence” concerning their administration of the game.

He noted various challenges that had fronted the game of cricket since its inception, namely the sustainability, development and transformation thereof, the last of which “includes inclusivity”.

“To market the game successfully in the entertainment world for people to watch it, and for television to be interested, you need to have an excellent product – it doesn’t matter which format.

“The question we have to ask ourselves as a nation, and globally, is whether we have mastered all those elements. A player can play T20 cricket today and make a good living, but players can also play 50-over and Test cricket and also make a good living.”

The product of cricket lends over to how players may adopt a sort of “T20 or 50-over mentality” even when playing Test cricket, Henry explained, giving the West Indian dominance in the 1970s and the days of Australia’s dominance in the 1990s and 2000s as examples.

Modernly, Henry pinpointed what England coach Brendon McCullum did with England for their 3-0 Test series whitewash recently over World Champions New Zealand as another example.

“Therein lays a blueprint of Test cricket being played with the mindset of a 50-over or T20 mentality.”

But with T20 cricket taking the limelight, despite the three formats meshing in terms of the style of cricket being played, there lies a challenge whereby the shortest format is getting the most recognition, especially with regards to revenue streams.

“We are ruining the game,” Henry said. “As administrators, we are ruining the game, because T20s fill the stadiums – eyeballs on the television.”

The former left-arm spinner explained a hypothetical and mental diagram that outlines the link between the cricketing environment, the architecture and structures thereof and the fans and players that drive the game.

“If the environment is not reinforcing those two, then there are flaws and weaknesses from within. If the people and players and architectures don’t contribute to the outcome, then there are flaws,” he explained.

“Who creates structures? Who creates processes? Who creates visions? People, players, coaches and administrators.

“We are responsible and accountable for the outcome,” he said, swaying from the belief that the actual format of T20 cricket is diminishing the game, but rather that strategies ought to be implemented using the backing and substance of each format.

Test cricket, he said, should always remain a priority since it is the sort of contest that ‘tests’ every strand of your being for five days.

“Now we have to look at how we can fit it into how the world, generations and game have evolved. McCullum has shown how. Can South Africa develop that mentality? That is our challenge.

“Since unification we’ve failed development and transformation. We were dominating world Test cricket and we lost that. We couldn’t find the right recipes to maintain it.

“The development programmes stopped spitting out players who can achieve or maintain what the previous generous had been able to.

The three formats of cricket should collaborate, rather than contradict and oppose each other, the 70-year-old explained from a simple business train of thought.

“There are three formats and that is your business, which means you can market more players, creating more jobs.”

Q&A: Nadine de Klerk

Where and when did you get into cricket?

I got into cricket at the age of 11 where I started playing for Northerns. Before that I would just play with my brother on a farm when I was growing up playing backyard cricket. I really enjoyed it and had a lot of fun.

Eventually my dad said let’s give it a shot and he took me for Northerns trials, made the team, and I fell in love with the game and started cricket ever since then.

You made your ODI debut for SA in 2017 at the Quadrangular Series against India, and your T20 debut for SA against India in 2018. What were your thoughts and how did you feel?

Making my debut in 2017 feels like it’s been ages ago, but that was another highlight of my career, something I will never forget. It’s probably one of those moments in your life where it’s definitely on the top of your list.

Everybody dreams of making their debut for South Africa and wearing the Protea jersey. So, a very special moment in my career.

Nerve-racking as well and you never know what to expect but looking back today, it’s been quite a journey.

How do you balance both bowling and batting as a discipline in T20 cricket?

Being an all-rounder is quite tough, when it comes to load and training, it’s not the easiest of things to be as effective in both skills. But it is a really special thing to have.

I really love being an all-rounder but it is sometimes difficult to balance both, it’s quite hard on the body. You plan your days and weeks ahead and you know what you need to do to be ready to perform in any of those two skills.

Would you say there is more pressure on all-rounders in T20 cricket?

I won’t really say there’s more pressure on all-rounders in T20 cricket, actually there’s less pressure in my personal opinion because you know you have both skills.

Sometimes it’s difficult as just a batter or just a bowler where you can get smashed in a T20 game and there’s nothing else you can do about it.

You have to move on, where being an all-rounder even if you don’t contribute with the bat you can always contribute with the ball or vice versa. So, I think it’s really special to be an all-rounder especially in T20 cricket.

How do you deal with “dry spells”?

Dealing with a dry spell is always tough as a bowler because you’re running as hard as you can, try to hit your areas as consistently as possible. But it’s just really sticking to your guns, backing your skills, and your ability to bowl your best possible ball as often as possible.

At the end of the day you want to bowl on partnerships as well. You might have a dry spell or not pick up any wickets, but if you bowl nice and tight and keep the batters quiet then they might try and take on the other bowler on the other side and that’s sometimes how you get the wickets. Just keeping it really simple and sticking to your guns.

Describe your time at Brisbane Heat, how you felt being selected for the franchise for the first time. How would you say playing at Brisbane Heat improved your game in any way?

Playing for BH was a very exciting time in my career. I had a lot of fun, learned a lot, working with Noffers (coach Ashley Noffke), and just growing as a cricketer was immense in my career. And that’s what it’s all about, you want to grow as a cricketer, you want to learn a lot of new things, and improve on your skills.

They really believed in me and helped me understand my game better which made it easier to just go out there and play, and give your 100%. It definitely improved my game, especially from a bowling point of view.

Just keeping it simple, landing the ball on the same spot, using variations when needed. From a batting point of view, just being aggressive, backing your skill, not to be afraid to fail, and play your shots. That was a massive plus in my career.

Do you think international franchises such as the Big Bash League remunerate all-rounders advantageously?

I don’t really think so, I think in the BBL it’s all about the balance at the end of the day and certain players bringing certain skills to the party.

Being an all-rounder is definitely up there because you can offer both skills and play both roles, batter or bowler on the day. You can do both which helps.

You captained the SA Emerging squad for a home series against Bangladesh in 2019. Was this your first time in this role?

Captaining the Emerging side was another highlight of my career. I enjoyed leading the team, we had a really good squad, with a few young ones there. It was my first time captaining at a higher level.

I used to captain the Northerns U19 team for 2 or 3 years. I was captain in a few of the Women’s Super Leagues that we play in South Africa. 

I’ve also captained the Northerns Women’s team on quite a few occasions. But this was a first time captaining on a higher level than Provincial cricket. I absolutely loved it, I think it was really special and I think the team did really well.

Most memorable batting/bowling moment?

I would have to say was my knock against Bangladesh in the Emerging Series where the game ended in a draw. We had the Super over chasing 14 runs in that over.

That’s definitely my most memorable batting moment. My best bowling moment was the World Cup semifinal against Australia.

Whose wicket would you dream of taking?

The wicket I would dream of taking is probably Sophie Devine or Alyssa Healy.

Favourite cricketer(s)?

Sophie Devine and Jacques Kallis

Fantasy opening batting duo?

That’s quite interesting… I think I would like to see Laura Wolvaardt bat with maybe Sophie Devine or Alyssa Healy. I think that could get quite interesting. Or even Alyssa Healy with Sophie Devine.

What are your favourite places to travel/tour?

That’s quite difficult, I must say I’ve enjoyed every bit of Australia and even New Zealand, those have been my favorite places to be. I spent a few weeks in Brisbane and absolutely loved it there.

Favourite food?

That’s a good question… I love any sort of pastas or meat, I’m a massive meat lover so love having a braai and eating a lamb chop with my mom’s salad. It’s always good.

Do you have a nickname amongst your teammates?

My nickname among my team mates is ‘Naydz’, one or two call me Noodle or Poodle, which ever one they find best on the day.