Lions upbeat en route to India
THE Lions cricket team will head to the Champions League Twenty20 with the perfect mix of youth and experience in their search for silverware in the international competition, says veteran batsman Neil McKenzie.
The Lions gained entry to the tournament by winning the domestic T20 competition and McKenzie, 37, has confidence in his side.
“We tend to mix it up a bit, we’ve got a few spinners who have come through the ranks and done well in South African conditions,” said McKenzie ahead of his team’s departure for India today.
“(Aaron) Phangiso has played international cricket, so has Imran Tahir.
“So that’s two in our favour. Sohail Tanvir is from Pakistan, so he knows exactly what to expect. Then we’ve got pace upfront – Hardus Viljoen hasn’t played anywhere other than South Africa, so it’s going to be a big experience for him. Dwaine Pretorius is another.”
The Lions finished runners-up in this competition when it was held in South Africa last year. This time, the different conditions could pose a problem for the Gauteng outfit, but McKenzie said their strategies should work in any conditions.
“Being the hunted team, or the known team, what we showed last year is that we’re a quality outfit.
“Five or six of our guys represented South Africa. If you look in the squad now, there are a few household names which there weren’t last year.”
After a training camp in Potchefstroom last week, the side had the chance to prepare as a team, but the time together was still not ideal without actual game time.
“With the format of the T20s, we have had only a few practice games, so it’s not like the real thing. Like any competition, especially the T20, we have to hit the ground running.
“We’re in foreign conditions and we have to take as much as we can from the practice facilities and the practice games we’ve got and go from there. We have to start well and run with it.
“Luckily enough, there have been a few guys involved in SA ‘A’ games and I’ve been overseas as well as one or two of the other guys.” – Sapa