How you can help us

By Khalid Mohidin

Hey, guys! Welcome to another issue of Cricket Fanatics Magazine, the first and only fan-driven Cricket publication in South Africa.

We started this venture on 1 July 2019 with a vision to get fans from all walks of life engaged with the game and give them access to the personalities in South African 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 haven'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.

In the past, the super-rich supported the work of artists as patrons of the art.

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

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
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• And more…

So please join our Patreon today initiative today. Even a tiny amount can make a big difference.

Test Tour West Indies

By Khalid Mohidin

Red-ball head coach Shukri Conrad has today named a 16-player squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies, which starts on 07 August in Trinidad and Tobago.

Dafabet Warriors batter Matthew Breetzke has received his maiden Test call-up after impressing in last season’s domestic four-day competition with 322 runs at an average of 46, including a top score of 188. The Warriors captain also lead South Africa A in a four-day match against India A in December.

Wicket-keeper batter Ryan Rickelton makes his return to the red-ball setup for the first time since South Africa hosted the West Indies in March 2023.

All-rounder Marco Jansen has been rested for the series.

The two-match Test series, which is part of the ICC World Test Championship, will be South Africa’s first in the Caribbean since June 2021, which saw them claim a 2-0 series win over the hosts.

Commenting on the squad, Conrad said: “We are looking forward to returning to Test cricket after a busy period of limited-overs cricket over the past few months.

“This tour is extremely important for us as we aim to improve our standing in the ICC World Test Championship. We have therefore selected our strongest possible squad and look forward to strong performances in the Caribbean.

“We have one new face in the squad, Matthew Breetzke, who is selected on the back of an excellent past season.

“The decision to rest Marco Jansen was taken to allow for a conditioning period aimed at ensuring optimal physical and mental well-being given the season-long workloads.

“Half of our squad will be part of a camp to be held in Durban next week,” concluded Conrad.

Proteas Test squad against West Indies
Temba Bavuma* (captain, DP World Lions), David Bedingham (World Sports Betting Western Province), Matthew Breetzke* (Dafabet Warriors), Nandre Burger (World Sports Betting Western Province), Migael Pretorius (North West Dragons), Tony de Zorzi* (World Sports Betting Western Province), Keshav Maharaj (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Momentum Multiply Titans), Wiaan Mulder* (DP World Lions), Lungi Ngidi* (Momentum Multiply Titans), Dane Paterson* (World Sports Betting Western Province), Dane Piedt (Knights), Kagiso Rabada (DP World Lions), Tristan Stubbs* (Dafabet Warriors), Ryan Rickelton (DP World Lions), and Kyle Verreynne* (World Sports Betting Western Province).

*These players attended a red-ball camp from 15 – 19 July in Durban.

The squad got together in Trinidad and Tobago on 27 July. Players who competed in the Major League Cricket final on 28 joined the squad on 29 July.

Tour Itinerary

Warm-up Match

31 July – 03 August at 10:00 local time
West Indies Invitational XI vs South Africa – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago

Test Series

07 – 11 August at 10:00 local time
West Indies vs South Africa – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago

15 – 19 August at 10:00 local time
West Indies vs South Africa – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana

Business Corner

By Khalid Mohidin

Businesses can now market affordably and effectively to a cricket audience!

We are excited to announce the launch of our Business Corner to help you market your business, products and services affordably and effectively to a cricket audience.

Since we started Cricket Fanatics Magazine in 2019, we've survived a pandemic, lockdowns, no cricket and even the financial woes of Cricket South Africa.

As a small, independent startup, we know how difficult it is to remain competitive under difficult circumstances.

We have to compete with some of the biggest media companies in the world ourselves, despite not having the budget and the resources they have.

However, we found a strategy that works for smaller businesses and that has been proven to work for thousands of businesses all over the world.

When we first discovered this strategy, we didn't believe that it would work.

After all, everybody around us was trying to blast their way to success via social media, just like the big brands did with traditional media like print, radio and television.

But it made so much sense that we decided to test it ourselves.

Today we are a well-respected publication in cricket circles.

And we have the systems to help any business implement the strategy.

We've therefore decided to start a Business Corner to help businesses implement this strategy.

But we know it's not for everybody.

Read more about the strategy and the system on our Business Page to decide whether you are ready to implement a modern online marketing strategy that gets you more long-term happy customers.

The Proteas Connection

The relationship dynamics in the Proteas set-up.

By C.S Chiwanza

Bjorn Fortuin hugged David Miller from behind. The dugout erupted in cheers, high-fives and hugs. In the middle of the park, Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks fist-bumped and hugged.

Marco Jansen let out an exclamation of joy as he entered the dressing room, where the Proteas streamed in, propelled by happiness. Protected by the four walls and a roof overhead, the South African contingent expressed raw emotions that can only be described by the modern phrase; ‘you had to be there to understand.’

The T20 circuit, in its current form, has turned cricketers into guns for hire. They spend nine to 10 months of the year hoping from one plane to another to join different team environments. In most instances, they don't play with a teammate from a previous team. They are teammates in one franchise and opposition in three more leagues.

Their duty is to deliver runs and wickets. Each outing is an audition for an invitation to return next season. Every good performance is a step further in securing their future because it helps them get the attention of other franchises in other leagues.

As Tom Dawson-Squibb, the Proteas’ performance coach, says, cricket is an individual sport wrapped in team clothing, or vice versa, depending on how you look at things. That nomadic existence and reward for individual performance puts the individuality part of cricket into sharp focus and makes their lives similar to that of tennis players. Also, while they take direction from coaches at those franchises, like tennis players, they have personal coaches they reach out to regularly, sometimes daily when they are playing.

Immediately after the T20 World Cup, players scattered across the globe to fulfil T20 commitments and only a handful of Proteas players made their way back to South Africa. A lot of the modern T20 player's game and life is spent facing inward.

However, now and then, South Africa’s stars interrupt their globetrotting to wear caps with the numbers: 81, 54, 61, 45, 75, 103, 95, 96, 102, 98, 84, 94, 85, 62, 72, 67, and 101*.

The numbers indicate their place in the line of succession of T20 players who vow to keep the Protea flame burning bright. However, that's not all they are. They are more than that; they are a single unit. You might not see that if you only watched them in the dining room. The same groups gravitate towards each other and eat their meals together.

Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen, who shared a flat while fighting to establish themselves at the Titans and spent their time away from the game in each other’s company, might spend the entire tour eating together. So might Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, who share a bond built when they were schoolboys competing against each other.

The married players often have their wives and kids along during a series or a tour. At the World Cup, about 60% of the players had their families in tow. Naturally, most wives gravitate towards each other. Their husbands will be drawn into those circles at meal times or during downtime when there are places to be explored and sights to be seen. Singletons find their way towards each other. Bonds are created and groups are formed.

“Those groups only become a problem when the one dinner table or section talks about the other dinner table nastily. That doesn’t happen with this group,” says Dawson-Squibb.

Kagiso Rabada and Aiden Markram's relationship encapsulates the Proteas' dynamic best. They have divergent interests. They as similar as Tabraiz Shamsi and Tristan Stubbs. One enjoys surfing and golf, the other loves cool cars and finds time for video games. Rabada enjoys and experiments with music. Aiden Markram enjoys golf and likes to spend time in the bush.

However, anyone who saw them embrace after South Africa’s semifinal victory noticed that they had a special bond. It wasn’t a one-second dap and hug. It lingered. During training sessions, the duo spends time sharing information and insights. If you hang around the training ground for long enough, you would have to be blind not to notice the little bits of affirmation they constantly give each other outwardly.

“Seeing that was very powerful, very, very powerful. And that's when you realize that there's a legacy relationship between these two guys. They have deep trust and deep respect for each other,” says Dawson-Squibb.

That trust and respect spills onto the pitch. They have performance connections. They can get the best out of each other in the field. If Quinton de Kock is batting with Anrich Nortje and went over to the pacer during an Axar Patel over and said, 'It's gripping and I think my option is a reverse sweep.'

If Nortje’s response is, 'That's perfect. I've seen you at your best, the reverse sweeps on.' De Kock will play the reverse sweep 10 out of 10 times because he trusts Nortje as a batting partner regardless of the other’s batting ability or lack of it.

It is those connections that have carried them along. At the 2024 World Cup, they should have lost several matches but pulled them from the brink. Over the past year have shown resolve in pressure situations. To capture another Dawson-Squibb saying, the antidote to pressure is connection.

The roots of those connections are in the candle-lighting ceremony each new team member performs. They were nurtured on the fertile ground of victories. They were hardened and developed resilience during the SJN storm, Quinton de Kock’s kneeling episode, the T20 and ODI World Cup losses to the Netherlands and their semifinal exit at the ODI World Cup. They only had each other to lean on during those times.

As highlighted above, cricket is an individual sport wrapped in team clothing. Like every other cricketer, each Proteas player has personal goals: runs and wicket milestones. In addition to that, Markram and his teammates have an extra personal goal; making their teammates proud. They play for each other, literally.

Caps with the numbers:
*81 - Aiden Markram, 54 - Quinton de Kock, 61 - Reeza Hendricks, 45 - David Miller, 75 - Heinrich Klaasen, 103 - Ryan Rickelton, 95 - Tristan Stubbs, 96 - Marco Jansen, 102 - Ottniel Baartman, 98 - Gerald Coetzee, 84 - Bjorn Fortuin, 94 - Keshav Maharaj, 85 - Anrich Nortje, 62 - Kagiso Rabada, 72 - Tabraiz Shamsi, 67 - Lungi Ngidi, 101 - Nandre Burger.

Template of a winning T20 XI - Improvement for Proteas

By Abhai Sawkar

So many tears I’ve cried
So much pain inside
But baby, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over

Lenny Kravitz has summed it up pretty well for many Proteas fans. The T20 World Cup campaign was nothing short of breathtaking, but stumbling and falling at the final hurdle has hit home once again. But it’s not all doom and gloom, as this South African team reached a World Cup final for the very first time. It was uncharted territory for Aiden Markram and his troops.

The equation for the final 5 overs was simply a run-a-ball, and most would’ve believed that Heinrich Klaasen deflated the chase when he brutally took down Axar Patel for 24 runs in the previous over. However, the talismanic Jasprit Bumrah continued to be at his devastating best. Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya fed off his consistency and drove India to a first ICC trophy in a little over a decade.

But where did the Proteas have it wrong? Considering they won every single game leading up to the championship, there may not have been a glaring cause for alarm. But then again, favourable results can often divert attention from possible areas of concern.

Let’s look at the composition of the XI’s that India played throughout the tournament. There were 3 specialist bowlers (Bumrah, Arshdeep, and Kuldeep/Siraj), and the other 3 bowling choices were genuine all-rounders (Hardik, Jadeja, and Axar). That would ensure batting depth down to #8, and as a result, a bunch of bite-sized contributions from everyone would still take them to an imposing total.

In addition, this allowed them to be more tactically fluid. After the Proteas got three early wickets, India opted to send Axar Patel in at #5 in order to avert a collapse as well as shield the two big hitters in Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya. Axar would score a well-made 31-ball 47, while Virat Kohli switched back to anchor mode to navigate the middle overs before stepping on the gas at the back end.

South Africa, on the other hand, had a relatively more rigid combination. The top 6 were all specialist batters, followed by a bowling allrounder at #7 (Marco Jansen), and 4 specialist bowlers. Towards the end of the tournament, Markram would pitch in with a few overs of off-spin, conditions permitting. However, they were missing another all-rounder in this XI. Marco Jansen is definitely no pushover with the bat, but it was far from ideal to have him at #7.

There was a momentary scare in the game against the West Indies, which was a virtual quarterfinal. The batters had to complement a disciplined effort from the bowlers, but a few too many rash shots turned what should’ve been a straightforward chase into a bit of hard work. The dismissals of Tristan Stubbs and Keshav Maharaj brought back a glimmer of hope for the tournament hosts, but with only 9 runs to get from 7 deliveries, it took a boundary from Kagiso Rabada and a big hit from Jansen to seal the deal. Furthermore, the two pacers who looked the most threatening - Andre Russell and Alzarri Joseph - had already bowled their allotments. This was a tense win for the men in green and gold, but a far more formidable opponent would await them in the final.

Another factor that hamstrung SA was the squad composition. Unfortunately, Marco Jansen was the only all-rounder in the side that was announced. Consequently, it was a non-negotiable to play him at all times. In the event that he sustained poor returns across all games, there still wouldn’t be reasonable grounds to drop him from the XI, since that would force them to choose an extra batter or an extra bowler. And looking at the makeup of the XI, that would most likely have to be an extra batter. That, in turn, would force the skipper to bowl a 4-over spell, and a part-timer is often an easy target for quality opposition batting lineups.

Finally, to top it off, the returns of Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram left many wanting. One could argue that Hendricks could’ve been switched out during the Super 8 phase. However, when a squad is chosen for a big event like this, the core group of players is normally backed all the way. There may be some wiggle room, but most tend to give the benefit of the doubt to the player in question in the event of a sunk-cost-fallacy scenario.

We can even backtrack to the 2021 World Cup champions - Australia. They had their own spin on a well-balanced XI. They had 4 specialist bowlers (Cummins, Starc, Zampa, and Hazlewood), and a total of 3 bowling choices in the top 7 (Marsh, Maxwell, and Stoinis). Shifting Mitchell Marsh to #3 mere months before the WC started was a master stroke. As a result, they would have all bases covered. The 5th bowler was effectively split across 3 players. If conditions were more conducive to spin, Glenn Maxwell would get to bowl his full quota. And if conditions favoured seamed, Stoinis and Marsh would get a chance to take the pace off and bowl a couple of overs apiece.

The “chokers” argument often gets invoked whenever the Proteas fall tantalizingly short, but this was more about the brilliance of the Indian pace trio. For a moment, it looked like it would be curtains for India, but to fight hard and turn the tables at the very end was the mother of all comebacks. Aside from the heartbreak, there’s now a renewed sense of belief. Let this be a call to action to rectify the wrongs of the recent past. The next bilateral T20I series will kick off a brand-new two-year plan to assemble a set of title contenders. Of course, the majority of the players from this year’s WC will roll over, but there’s a very good chance there will be a handful of new faces raring to make a mark.

Q&A: Ludwich Schuld

By Stuart Judge

Ludwich Schuld has been one of the most consistent young batsmen over the past few years and he has recently earned a high-performance contract with the North-West Dragons for the upcoming season.

Unlike some of his peers, he was not selected for the South African under-19 squad, but he has been arguably the most consistent batter for the NWU Pukke first-team side.

Schuld is a stylish left-handed batter who has decimated many bowling attacks. During the 2023 Khaya Majola Cricket Week, Schuld managed to equal the record for the most number of centuries scored in the tournament (which was three centuries to be exact).

The other three players who managed this feat are: AB De Villiers, Pieter
Malan and Andrea Agathagelou. This speaks of a player with immense natural talent and natural flair.

We recently sat down with Ludwich to get to know him better.

Tell us about your upbringing and the amount of cricket you played as an aspiring.

A coach that had a major influence on me growing up was Andries Huisamen. I went to Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom where I had many
coaches who helped shape my game. I did not play a lot of club cricket as I mainly played for my school sides and the provincial sides during cubs-week. I was also fortunate enough to make the SA Schools side in 2022 and 2023.

What factors contributed to your performances with the
SA Emerging side?

Over the past year (since I matriculated), I have been practising a
lot more frequently. I have also placed a greater focus on going to the gym and becoming fitter whilst also working with experienced people to develop my mindset.

What was it like to join the Dragons?

In my first week I was extremely nervous, however, I soon realised that I had no need to be worried. All of the players and staff have been extremely welcoming and friendly. There is definitely a good element of banter with the players, but, when it is time to train we definitely switch on. The aspect that has taken me by surprise is just how technical the
analysis is. The coaches constantly give detailed feedback (during video analysis sessions), where they analyse things like your head, swing path and follow through.

What are your goals for the future?

Ultimately I am not obsessed with personal statistics. My main goal is to help my team to the best of my ability and have fun by scoring runs. In the long term, I would like to be selected for competitions like the SA20, but, if I focus on contributing as best I can for my team, the
rest will take care of itself.

We at Cricket Fanatics Magazine would like to thank Ludwich for the interview and we wish him all the best for his first season with the Dragons.

Reference:
https://www.cricketworld.com/lions-cricket-claim-victory-csa-khaya-majola-week-2023-champions/91795.htm