CRICKET: Luke Alfred
WITH Kepler Wessels’ retirement from the international scene and Hansie Cronje’s promotion as national captain, we seem to have been liberated from our fear of failure.
At provincial level the youth policies followed so diligently by Natal have brought handsome rewards, with other provinces following suit.
The Plascon Academy is up and running, and for the first time since readmission the air of diffidence which has surfaced occasionally in our cricket seems to be a thing of the past.
Whereas Natal and to a lesser extent Western Province have been adventurous when it comes to youth policy, Transvaal have lagged far behind.
All that changed last weekend when three of the provinces’ finest under-19’s (David Terbrugge, Zander de Bruyn and Neil McKenzie) were chosen for either the Transvaal A or B sides, playing at home against Western Province, or away to Eastern Province B respectively.
Along with the three under-19’s, Anthony Pollock (Graeme’s youngest son) makes his A team debut, as does the talented Chad Grainger, while Anthony’s brother Andrew flies down to Port Elizabeth with the B team.
Commenting on the decision to opt for a youth policy, Transvaal selector Barry Skjoldhammer said: “Obviously we are looking to ultimately get players in the South African side.
“We believe we’ve got the best crop of youngsters we’ve had for years.
“We had four of them in the South African schools side in 1994, and we want to get as many of them through and into the system as soon as we can.”
Citing the example of Natal and Western Province, I asked Skjoldhammer if Transvaal weren’t perhaps following rathern than leading when it came to youth policy.
“I think that you’re 100 percent right, I wouldn’t run away from that observation,” he replied with a chuckle.
“I think we have perhaps been a little bit conservative over the last three years. We decided earlier in the season that if these youngsters did show they could score runs we were going to play them.
“But, yes, the fact that the other provinces were doing similar things did cement our ideas.”
Did it concern him that the names Bacher, Pollock and McKenzie were beginning to appear in the Transvaal side again? Was nepotism rearing its ugly head?
“Not at all. I think another newspaper article said that these players had suffered because of it, which I don’t agree with either. So I really don’t think that even comes into it. If they’re good players they’re good players, and they’ve got to have their own inner strength to come through.”
Does Skjoldhammer believe Transvaal will ever be able to recapture the “mean machine” glory years?
“My personal opinion is that we suffered with a hangover of the mean machine for years.” What did he mean by that? “I believe that we tried to hang on to it for too long after the mean machine retired.
“And I think we should’ve maybe been a little bit broadminded earlier in doing away with the mean machine or with the mean machine type concept if you like.
“And also I think we need to realise that that mean machine was something very special, we’ll never have another side like that.
“That must’ve been the strongest provincial side in the world at the time.”