OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 4.00pm
PACEMAN Allan Donald is not too disappointed he fell short of the magical 300-test wicket mark during South Africa’s successful tour of India.
”I said it wasn’t going to be the end of the world if I didn’t achieve it. I was very happy with my performance and I always knew 10 wickets was going to be a very difficult task in two test matches on those wickets,” he said on his return from India.
Donald is still three wickets short of the 300 mark and will miss the tour to Sri Lanka in July and August due to commitments for English county Warwickshire.
”You need a bit of luck and it didn’t happen, but I think it could well be so fitting coming back from England later in the year and the first test against New Zealand is in Bloemfontein.
”So hopefully, if selected, I could get back in the side and do it there. It would be really nice,” said Donald, whose entire provincial playing career in South Africa has been with Free State, whose headquarters are in Bloemfontein.
Warwickshire are undertaking a pre-season tour to South Africa, starting in Bloemfontein this month, with former South African coach Bob Woolmer at the helm.
”I’ve got time off until they arrive for pre-season in Bloemfontein, but I’m not going to take any part in that,” Donald said.
”I’ve spoken to Bob Woolmer and he just wants me there for the first two days of the tour and then I’m going to go back (to England) on about the 28th of March and rest up before the season actually kicks off.”
Donald said he’d be continuing to work hard.
”I think that I’m very close to getting back to what I’m used to. In the spells I bowled in India, I felt anything but that, so I need to keep trimming up and stay in form.” — Reuters