Ntini, Klusener plotting Proteas’ downfall
PAARL: Even the most knowledgeable of South African cricket fans can be forgiven for not instantly recognising many of the Zimbabwean cricket team that are in SA for an inaugural four-day day-night Test against the Proteas next Tuesday, but there certainly were two familiar faces boarding the team bus after training at Boland Park yesterday.
They were, of course, former Proteas Makhaya Ntini and Lance Klusener, who are both part of the Zimbabwe coaching team plotting SA’s downfall. Ntini has been part of the Zimbabwean set-up for a while now, having been appointed bowling coach back in September 2016 before taking over as interim coach after former head coach Dav Whatmore was sacked in May this year. He has since returned to his bowling role under current coach Heath Streak.
Klusener, meanwhile, has taken on the responsibility of batting coach since June this year.
“It is certainly good for us to have people with their international records involved with us. It makes it easier for the players to respect them. I certainly think with Lance and Makhaya they almost feel as if they are Zimbabweans because of the similar cultures. They have both fitted in really well,” Streak said yesterday.
“And I guess we’re lucky in having two of South Africa’s best players in their history coaching in Zimbabwe rather than here in South Africa. We’ll take that and hopefully benefit from that.”
The tourists are going to need all the assistance they can muster, as an almighty challenge awaits them at St George’s Park on Boxing Day. Not only are they eight ranking places and 109 points behind the Proteas, who occupy second position on the ICC Test team standings, but they will also be playing with a pink ball under floodlights for the first time.
Today’s warm-up match against a South African Invitational XI where the pink ball will be utilised at Boland Park will be good preparation, but the Proteas have the advantage of playing a pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide already last year.
“It is nice to be the first to do anything. We don’t play under lights a lot anyways, so that’s an added bonus. There is a lot to be excited about,” the former fast bowler said.
“It is well documented how little Test cricket we play. But for us it’s less about the type of cricket we play, but rather the fact that we (are) playing international cricket. The gaps in between international cricket are the challenge for us. Our domestic level of cricket isn’t high. So for us to step up, that is the challenge. Luckily for us we have had West the Indies at home for two Tests not too long ago.”
Despite having last played against the Proteas in a Test 12 years ago when still a teenage leg-spinner, Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer is equally confident about his team’s chances, especially with the Test only being played over four days for the first time.
Cremer believes the changing of the playing conditions could suit Zimbabwe.
“I think it’s a good thing, especially when the two teams aren’t ranked that close together,” Cremer said of the impact a four-day Test may have. “The bigger teams will have to probably score a bit quicker and give the lesser team a lot more opportunity to get wickets and the game will move quite quickly.”