Zaahier Adams
Former Proteas batter Neil McKenzie feels the Proteas’ recent Test series victory over Bangladesh away has set the team up perfectly for the home Test summer. The 2-0 sweep of Bangladesh was the Proteas’ first Test series win on the subcontinent in more than a decade.
The Proteas now await two further subcontinent teams, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, for two two-match Test series at home, both of which are pivotal to ensuring Shukri Conrad’s team’s qualification for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in London next year. Four straight wins will see the Proteas qualify automatically, while three victories and a draw should also be sufficient.
McKenzie, who served as the Cricket South Africa (CSA) batting lead for several years after retiring, played a pivotal role in the development of batters across the spectrum. He also formed one half of a world record opening partnership with Graeme Smith, when the pair posted 415 for the first wicket against Bangladesh in Chattogram back in 2008.
“It was a great trip. A lot of guys put their hands up; to beat Bangladesh on spin-friendly wickets shows we have unbelievable spinners,” McKenzie told reporters at a KFC Mini-Cricket activation yesterday.
“Our batters are also progressing. When I was with Cricket SA many years ago, there was a big drive to get our players playing spin better. It is not always straight away. If you plant a seed, especially with those young batters in Bangladesh, it is not an easy place to play.”
“Quite a few of them got hundreds. Tony (de Zorzi), getting a big 170 (177), and another two in the game. (Wiaan) Mulder and (Tristan) Stubbs. (Kyle) Verreynne also (in the first Test). That will put them in a good position when you travel to the subcontinent again, facing tough spin conditions that we are not used to here. It was a really good trip and should not be taken lightly.”
There has been plenty of criticism directed towards CSA for hosting the two Test matches against Sri Lanka at South Africa’s most spin-friendly venues, namely Kingsmead in Durban and St George’s Park in Gqeberha. Not only are Sri Lanka also still in the running for a place in the WTC final, but it was at these very two grounds where they made history by becoming the first and only Asian nation to win a Test series in South Africa back in 2019.
However, McKenzie, like Conrad had earlier also alluded to, feels this should not be a factor because they remain the Proteas’ home venues and they’ve shown since that they can win in spin-friendly conditions.
“I think we have the edge because it's our home ground. Playing in South Africa, on wickets that we really know, and that are conducive to our play,” he said.
“The big thing we saw a couple of years ago, we beat Bangladesh on spin-friendly wickets, with Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer bowling them out.”
“We are traditionally a fast-bowling nation that normally wins with fast bowling, which was the way in the past, but we are equally gifted in the spin bowling department now. So, it shows that whatever the conditions, we have weapons, or strategies, to take wickets.”