Jo’burg curator promises no let-up on pace

No he (South Africa captain Faf du Plessis) hasn’t... And even if he would ask, I would prepare the pitch my way. BUTUEL BUTHELEZI, Wanderers curator on preparing the pitch for the third Test

A man of few words, head curator at the Wanderers, Butuel Buthelezi, was beaming when he was told that curators in India don’t have an office as big as his. “But my real workplace is outside,” said Buthelezi, pointing at the room in front of his office. Stuffed with lawn mowers, pitch rollers and ground equipment, getting to Buthelezi’s office involves a bit of hopping through this room.

South Africa may have already won the series against India but the pitch talk has only got more intense after a rather sub-continental wicket was prepared for the Centurion Test. Wanderers, it has been assured, can’t get an Indian pitch even if groundsmen tried to. And Buthelezi would be the last person to go against what has been the norm so far. “At Wanderers we have always had fast and bouncy wickets. There is no question of preparing something else,” he said.

Having worked at the Wanderers since 1984, Buthelezi is familiar with every blade of grass at the Wanderers. For a long time he worked under former curator Chris Scott. Only in October, 2015 did Buthelezi take over, becoming the second black to be head curator of a Test venue in South Africa. The first black to get this honour was Wilson Ngobese, who is the head curator at Kingsmead stadium in Durban.

Despite his long association, Buthelezi got to prepare a Test pitch for the first time during England’s visit in January, 2016. That Test proved to be a three-day affair with England shooting out South Africa for only 83 in the second innings before going on to win it by seven wickets. India have a good seam attack and South Africa know a pitch similar to Cape Town could give them an equal chance in the Test match. But the Proteas also don’t want a repeat of Centurion.

Locals say that even if Wanderers was bare, there would be something in it for the seamers on all days. Four days to go for the Test though, the pitch seemed fairly lush from a distance. Buthelezi too seemed confident about the way the pitch is being prepared.

But has Du Plessis asked him to prepare anything specific? “No he hasn’t,” said Buthelezi. “And even if he would ask, I would prepare the pitch my way,” he added laughing.