Cape Town - Despite operating in a world where the context of bilateral cricket is vehemently debated and the creation of leagues is mooted at every ICC general council meeting, Proteas spinner Dane Piedt still believes a full Test tour to Australia is the “World Cup of Test cricket”.
Although just 26 years old, the off-spinner from Lansdowne is almost a throwback to players of a bygone era. He loves the red-ball version of the game. He hardly plays limited-overs cricket, especially the T20 format. He cherishes his green Proteas cap. And he highly respects the contributions of players that have come before him.
It is the latter characteristic especially, that formulates Piedt’s views on the Proteas’ upcoming three-match Test tour to Australia. Unlike previous generations of South African cricketers, Piedt forms part of a group who are not fearful of the Australians. Piedt, along with teammates Kagiso Rabada and Quinton de Kock - the young pups of the Proteas side - did not grow up watching SA get a pasting in the wee hours of the morning. Instead they harbour positive memories of talismanic former captain Graeme Smith leading the Proteas to their maiden series victory Down Under due to the brilliance of Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy on the 2008-09 tour and then following it up again in 2012 courtesy of Faf du Plessis’s stonewalling acts and the incisive blade of Hashim Amla.
“I’ve got good memories of the Proteas playing in Australia,” Piedt said yesterday. “To multiply these feelings, I am now sharing a dressing-room with guys who have gone to Australia and been successful. Guys who have achieved plenty of success in Australia. That gives the young guys like us plenty of confidence that we can go there and do something really special.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’ve heard the stories, and I know it’s going to be unbelievably hard cricket down there. The Aussies are just so competitive and play such a positive brand of cricket. But that’s how it must be. It must be tough.
“That’s why I think, with all the history the two teams share, an Australia Test tour is the World Cup of Test cricket for any South African laaitie. It’s the pinnacle. To go down there and do well is the ultimate achievement.”
The personal challenge facing Piedt Down Under is a daunting one though. Although the Aussies seem to have lost all capability in countering quality spin on the tricky sub-continent pitches, and are almost bewitched, it is as if they exact revenge on spinners when they are back home. On the flat, true batting surfaces the Baggy Green batsmen are relentless in pressurising the opposition spinners. Even spin wizards like India’s Ravichandran Ashwin have capitulated in these conditions, with the off-spinner averaging a mammoth 54.71 per wicket in Australia in comparison to his overall career average of 25.20.
SA’s own Imran Tahir also failed dismally in a test of character on the Proteas’ last tour to Australia. Tahir conceded the horrific figures of 0/180 off only 23 overs - an economy rate of 7.82 - in the first innings of the 2012 Adelaide Test before suffering further punishment with an analysis of 0/80 in the second innings.
“I am well aware of what awaits me. It is not just the conditions. It’s the way the Aussies play. There’s a lot of bravado in their batting,” said Piedt. “They enjoy taking you on. They love attacking you, coming down the wicket at you, they are always at you. I was recently on the South Africa A tour to Australia where I experienced that. I find that exciting. It brings you into the game as a spinner. I’m under no illusions that it’s going to be tough. I might not even play in the first Test at Perth. We might decide to go with (an) all-pace attack. I can’t worry about that. That’s out of my hands. If I am selected to play, I will have a job to do. If I am not, then I will also have a job to do and that’s to ensure my teammates are hydrated sufficiently. Whatever my role is for the team, on or off the field, I want to do it to the best of my ability.”
The young off-spinner is certainly not lacking in confidence, and he steadfastly believes this stems from the culture within the Proteas dressing-room and the feeling of togetherness that emanates from the leadership.
“I really enjoyed bowling against New Zealand recently. I might not have had a big role to play with guys like Dale back, but the part I did play was certainly pleasurable. Faf (stand-in captain of the Proteas for the Black Caps series) really inspired me. He really wanted me to attack. And that’s when I play my best cricket,” Piedt said.
“I like taking wickets and working on ways to take wickets. Especially in the second innings, Faf came to me and said don’t worry about the runs, just go out there and get me a wicket.
“I really tried to bowl attacking lines because the ball was spinning and when I managed to get BJ Watling it was really satisfying because not only did I break up a little partnership, I answered my captain’s call.”
Cape Argus