Time to shine for KZN rising star Muthusamy at Africa Cup
SENURAN Muthusamy is precisely the kind of player who stands to benefit most from the Africa T20 Cup.
The 21-year-old, a star performer at Clifton College, has long been regarded by the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union as a prince waiting to claim his crown.
This week the likeable lefthand batsman and spinner will be thrust into the limelight, batting with the likes of Cameron Delport and David Miller on national television as KZN take on Griquas, Namibia and Eastern Province in Pool C of the competition in Kimberley.
The winner of the pool will advance to next month’s semifinals, with Northerns and KZN Inland having already qualified.
“It’s going to be very exciting,” said Muthusamy after practice at Kingsmead yesterday.
“We’ve been preparing for three weeks now. I spent the winter with the academy, honing my T20 and limited-overs skills. I’m looking forward to playing with, and learning from, guys like Dave Miller,
KZN COASTAL
Keshav Maharaj and Cameron Delport.”
Miller has been appointed captain of the team: “It’ll be the first time since U14 at Maritzburg College, but I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
“It’s a great way to tune up for the tour of India, but it’ll also be interesting to play with, and against, players I don’t know so well.”
Muthusamy said he’d recently batted with Miller for the first time in a warm-up game at Chatsworth.
“It was awesome being at the other end of the pitch with him, listening to how he thinks and how he goes about his batting and constructs his innings. It seems as if he already knows that he’s got that extra time (to play his shots), and he was a very calming influence.
“Obviously he’s experienced at international level now and knows his game really well, so it will be exciting to bat with him at this tournament and play in pressure situations with him.”
Muthusamy said that while he had scored three first-class hundreds for KZN, he also enjoyed the shorter format.
“I think I’ve got a lot
to offer with my batting and spin bowling. Hopefully I can twist the captain’s arm and get a few overs.”
Asked to describe the difference between provincial cricket and this week’s competition, Muthusamy said: “I think it’ll be higher intensity, more of a mental switch. I think the senior players will take a bit of the pressure off, but of course I will be looking to learn from them.”
Coach Roger Telemachus said he was delighted that the province’s other team, Inland, had already reached the semis.
“They deserved to go through. They played outstanding cricket to win two games with bonus points. All credit to them, and they’ve certainly set the bar for us.”
Looking at the conditions in which the tournament was played, Telemachus said they had been slow.
“There’s been no rain and they are winter surfaces, so that makes the pitches a bit dry and tough to bat on. The totals have generally been low, and there’s been a lot of spin bowled. So we need to get our ducks in a row, clear our minds and put proper plans in place. We’ve got a well-balanced team, but it all depends on how we respond.”
The spin attack will be led by the Dolphins’ left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, with Muthusamy and off-spinner Mishkal Ramsaroop adding their support.
The pace attack includes Craig Kirsten and Brandon Scullard, with Rabian Engelbrecht an injury doubt.
The key to the team’s fortunes, however, will surely be the form of powerhouses Delport and Miller. If they can fire regularly, KZN will be hard to beat.