How refreshing to see Test cricket again
WHILE the IPL has meandered towards its end, and a most timely one at that, Test cricket is under way in England with the West Indies starting their tour of the UK against the hosts, who should easily dominate proceedings and see it as a nice little build-up to the South African series after that.
It seems so refreshing to sit and enjoy the delights of the measured pace of Test cricket and all the intrigue that goes with it. No frenetic shouting by commentators, no squeezing every second into advertising and having names for every catch and stroke played. Also, no hiding by any player not good enough to be on the stage. It’s the real deal.
The Proteas will be watching every move made by the England players. Their techniques are being scrutinised as I write, no doubt.
Field placings are vital and every angle and shot played is recorded. Where do they hit the ball in the air and what is the right length to bowl to each batsman? Where do they like scoring and what line are they likely to lose patience on? How well does each one play the short ball and what is the technique like against spin?
These are the general issues that are discussed by the coaches from both teams as the technical analysts gather information.
Pressure
However, what is often not fully discussed is the mental aspects that can be exploited. Pressure is an issue that makes players sometimes do different things. A Test series is filled with pressure. Not only from the opposing team, but also from within.
So often players waiting to get into the side are the biggest headaches to those in it. Everyone wants to get on the park and don’t believe that every single player is happy to see his counterpart doing well. Long tours are renowned for that kind of scenario. The England trip is a long tour and is filled with challenges.
Also, techniques in all the disciplines are tested and, more often than not, need adjustment to cope with the different playing conditions.
Combine that with the fact that every ground has its own particular little nuance and it adds up to coaches and players being on top of their game every single day. Take Lord’s as an example, with the pitch having a little slope to it. Knowing when to leave the ball is a critical aspect. There is not much time to learn on the job once the tour starts.
Threat
The biggest threat to England is often their own media. They are ruthless. Just ask a football coach. It takes just one or two poor performances to get them going and create mayhem among their own team.
To get this to happen, though, the Proteas will need to hit the ground running. It certainly is easier said than done. Remember, a few of our lads have been in T20 mode for a long time. There aren’t going to be a whole string of games in a row to adjust.
Experience will probably count for a whole lot. Vernon Philander, now playing in England and not in the IPL, is a great start. Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla have all been there. Mark Boucher will play a crucial role on this tour.
Touring England is something that all Test players want to do at least once. It is special for many other reasons off the field too. The autograph hunters are relentless and seem so informed.
I remember fondly the travelling around in a doubledecker bus as we moved from one venue to the other. It was always the Manchester United bus and was kitted out with TVS and built-in tables and chairs for sitting chatting to each other and playing cards.
Our problem was always what music had to be played through the speaker system. The tastes of Dave Richardson, Kepler Wessels, Brian Mcmillan and myself differed vastly from Gibbs, Adams and others.