Johannesburg – Proteas' fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe admits he is not entirely satisfied with his performances for the Dolphins so far this season.
He said on Monday that he hoped to improve when his new franchise hosted the Highveld Lions in Durban this week.
The left-arm paceman, who was dropped by the national selectors for the test leg of their tour to Australia, has taken just five wickets in 33 overs during the One-day Cup until now.
“I always look to try and take wickets up front,” he said.
“I’m not totally happy, but I’ve been happy with my bowling figures and I think I can do better.”
The 28-year-old, who is currently the number three ranked one-day bowler in the world, was hoping that taking wickets would propel him back into the national set-up.
“I get so angry when I don’t take wickets. So hopefully I can pick up wickets, which will put me on top again,” he said.
Lions' pair Chris Morris and Hardus Viljoen, who has the most wickets in the competition with 15 wickets in five games, as well as the Knights' Ryan McLaren have all staked their claims for national selection with impressive showings already this season.
However, Tsotsobe believed his variations would continue to offer the selector something different.
“It is getting tougher, but I would like to think that with the variations I have, I can be in the set-up, especially for the one-dayers and T20s,” said Tsotsobe.
“But it’s up to the selectors to select me.”
He insisted, though, that his focus for now was on the Dolphins and helping them improve after a difficult start to the season.
“I’m here to enjoy my cricket, just giving it my all to perform 100 per cent for the Dolphins,” he said.
The KwaZulu-Natal franchise failed to win any of their opening three games, before bouncing back with successive wins over the Knights and Titans in the past six days.
Tsotsobe praised the way his new team-mates had remained focused even during the difficult periods.
“It’s not a great feeling when the team loses, especially with me personally it doesn’t sit very well,” he said.
“When a lot of teams lose, they start blaming their team-mates, but what they’ve done very well here at the Dolphins, is that everyone kept their calm.
“We’ve all stuck to our processes as individuals, what we do best and have not worried too much about other teams.
“So that has helped and now things have started coming together.” – Sapa