Vilas ready to fight for his Protea future
IT would have been easy for Dane Vilas, to return to the South African domestic set-up and feel that he was made the scapegoat for the Proteas Test team’s dire batting performance in India.
Despite the entire batting unit being utterly perplexed by the Indian conditions and the home team’s spinners, Vilas was the only batsman that was dropped entirely for the subsequent England series. Not even the fact the Vilas was the team’s wicket-keeper could save him from the guillotine with De Villiers handed the gloves originally for the first two Tests.
What would have been even more galling for the 30-year-old Cape Cobras star was the fact that the experiment to place De Villiers behind the stumps lasted for just the solitary Test in Kingsmead with the national selection panel turning to Quinton de Kock for second Test at Newlands and the re- two Test matches.
Players with less character than Vilas would have been irate with the decision-making process, and could easily have gone through the motions at the Cobras. However, this is not how Vilas is wired, and instead he has taken responsibility for his performances in India and has vowed to come back stronger, starting with his career-best 216 not out in Paarl this past weekend. The innings formed part of a record-breaking 393-run partnership with fellow Proteas discard JP Duminy (260*).
“It would have been nice to be involved against England, but someone had to stand for AB and the selectors decided it was me and that’s the end of that,” Vilas said yesterday.
“I don’t think I covered myself in glory in India, although the conditions were something I was never exposed to before. The closest we get to anything like that back home is here in Paarl when it gets really hot and dry and begins to crack up, but in India it is just relentless as it never stops and you’re always under pressure.”
Vilas certainly believes how an individual copes with the external factors related to international cricket is the key to succeeding at the highest level. Technique and ability is only a fraction of what is required for success.
“I learnt so much in the few Tests that I played. International cricket is a completely different ball game in terms of the pressures associated with it. I never thought at any stage I was batting poorly or was out of form. I was just not getting runs. Consistency is the ultimate test of an international cricketer. If you score one or two hundreds for the season at Cobras it’s okay. International cricketers do it regularly. That’s the difference because people are always questioning your form.
“Behind the stumps you also can’t afford to offer players second chances too. Opportunities are so limited that you have to take them the first time they come around. I learnt a lot about staying focused,” Vilas explained.
Vilas has certainly taken the lessons on board and tried to replicate it in the Sunfoil Series thus far. His last two innings for the Cobras has yielded 285 runs without being dismissed thus far, at an impressive strike-rate.
“I have always been a positive batsman. I think sometimes I’ve tried to be too defensive because I thought that’s how people wanted me to play and I became afraid of losing my wicket,” he said.
“But I’ve gone back to trusting my instinct more and playing with good intent. I think if I can put the bowlers under pressure with my positive attitude there’s a greater chance they will buckle first and offer up the odd loose delivery more often.”
Vilas’ next opportunity to keep the heat on Test incumbent De Kock will be this coming Thursday when the Cobras travel to Port Elizabeth to face the Warriors at St George’s Park.
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