Parnell aiming to be the height of fashion for Proteas again

HIS fashion blogger wife may have had something to say about the bobble hats and hoodies on show at a windswept Hove last week, but Wayne Parnell hopes that a hot spell for Kent in the coming weeks will rubberstamp his bid for international duties this summer.

The 27-year-old South African took four wickets alongside an unbeaten 50 against Sussex to keep his side’s 100 per cent start to the Division Two season intact, as he completed his first county game for Kent since first joining as a rookie in the 2009 domestic season.

Eight years on, with five years of IPL and several seasons of injury problems behind him, Parnell now looks likely to be a force to be reckoned with this summer.

He said: “I’m feeling really confident. Over I’d say the last 12 to 18 months I’ve played some really good cricket with bat and ball and I’m trying to lean on that and replicate that game after game.

“I’m not trying to do anything too fancy, but just to keep it simple. It seems to have worked so far and hopefully it will stay that way.”

Older and wiser, the left-arm paceman married Cape Townbased blogger Aisha Baker last May, while the last 12 months have given plenty of focus to Parnell’s life.

His wife is currently awaiting a UK visa to join her husband this summer.

But in the meantime, Parnell is getting to know his team-mates, having enjoyed a Nando’s in Brighton with new-ball partner Matt Coles and being handed the keys of a sponsored Honda car.

“It’s always nice being back here. It was my first ever county as a 19-year-old and I’ve settled in nicely,” he said of his return to The Spitfire Ground. “It’s great to see the familiar faces years on and it also helps you settle in nicely.

“I want to put in good performances and put my name into the hat.

“I’m not trying to focus on the England series, I’m just trying to win games for Kent and it’s nice to be able to start by contributing with both bat and ball.”

With combined caps of 100 in one-day and T20 cricket, Parnell hopes that a prolonged spell with the Dukes ball will be a major catalyst as he bids to add to his five Test caps for the Proteas – seven years after his debut against England in Johannesburg.

He said: “I’ve enjoyed playing with the Dukes, it suits my style of bowling.

“I’ve enjoyed playing with a different ball and to be able to test yourself doing something you’re not used to.

“When you’re young, you tend to run in, bowl quickly and try to knock guys over. Having played more, watched more cricket and spent time with guys more experienced, when you want to play Test cricket, it’s about landing the ball in one area more often than not. It’s about keeping it simple.”

Parnell has recently slowed down his run-up to instil more rhythm and consistency after working with Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s national bowling coach.

Having first worked under Graham Ford during his first spell in English cricket, Parnell says he will now relish working under coach Matt Walker and his assistant Jason Gillespie.

“Dizzy is a calm, chilled guy,” added Parnell. “He’s asked me what I’ve been working on and I’ve told him that if he has any input to please speak up.

“I don’t think he’s the type of guy to tell you what to do but to do what you feel comfortable – I don’t want to change my whole bowling action.

“Walks was also still playing for Essex the last time I was here. He is another calm guy in the dressing room and he really helps keep it simple, too.”

With Vinnie Barnes, the former Proteas bowling coach, recently suggesting that Parnell represents South Africa’s future, it remains to be seen whether he will feature in both the ICC Champions Trophy limited overs series, as well as the Test series against England.

“I have no doubt he’ll receive a call-up to the South African team and possibly also the Tests against England,” Barnes told South African media.

“It’s ideal for him to represent Kent, because I feel, with Wayne, it affects him when he sits on the sidelines. When he represented the Cape Cobras for a full season, it made a massive difference. At Kent he’ll play regularly.”

With the backing of the Kent coaching staff – coupled with Parnell’s insistence for simplicity – it could yet see him cause havoc against England’s top order batsmen.

“I just enjoy the responsibility of bowling with the new ball,” he added.