Pay a visit to a Highveld Lions practice session and something that strikes you is the large black brace on Dwaine Pretorius’s right knee. “How on earth does he walk,” is the first thing that pops into your mind. And then: “How does he bowl with that thing on?”
The brace is there to protect the knee Pretorius injured when he was supposed to be playing for the SA Under-19 side at the 2007 World Cup. He tore cartilage in the right knee in a pre-tournament event and required surgery. Five years later, further surgery was needed when he damaged the knee again ahead of a Champions League T20 tournament.
And yet Pretorius, 27, remains one of the hardest working and fittest cricketers on the domestic circuit. Understandably he carefully monitors his workload, but that doesn't mean he shirks any work in the nets or in a match.
The role of an all-rounder is one he embraces and it's one which led to the achievement of a life-long dream this week when he was called up for the Proteas squad for the one-off ODI against Ireland in Benoni later this month.
“It was very exciting,” Pretorius recalled about the phone call from chairman of selectors, Linda Zondi, while he was in Australia. “He asked how I felt, and I said it's like my heart's about to jump out of my chest.”
Domestic cricket is an oft-forgotten part of the sport's structure in this country. It exists to feed the Proteas, but it's the Proteas that dominate air-time in South Africa.
Who and how players become Proteas is not something the general public seem all that interested in - just witness crowds at four-day matches or even 50-over games. So Pretorius is somewhat of an unknown. He's carved out a solid professional career, but it was last season that he showed an improvement in form that earned national recognition in the form of an SA A cap, for the tour to Australia, where Zondi called him.
“It's hard to say if getting into SA A gets you closer to a national call-up. I've seen guys play three to four years at SA A level and not get called or have to wait that long before they get called,” said Pretorius.
“The one thing an SA A call-up indicates is that you're on the radar, I suppose. People are seeing what you're doing, that you're performing well and that you could play for South Africa. It has motivated me to work harder. In my case it was six weeks after I got the call for SA A that I got picked for the Proteas, so that is exciting.”
Pretorius explained that an important part of his success last season was how his own understanding of his game grew. “There’s a saying in Afrikaans ek het vrede gemaak (made peace with the fact) that I am not and won’t be a 145km/h bowler. I embraced that, understood my limitations, but also there were other strengths in my game and I worked to do what I could do best.”
Hard work is one of his strengths. He bowls good medium pace, with an out-swinger that makes him a persistent threat while there is plenty of power when he bats.
Ironically, the opportunity to improve his game came as a result of his good pal, Chris Morris, leaving the Lions for the Titans. “If he hadn't have gone, I don't think I'd have played 50 percent of the matches for the Lions.”
Pretorius became a mainstay in the Lions team - playing 27 matches across the three competitions - and so valuable were his contributions that according to a points system devised by the SA Cricketers Association (the players union) he was awarded the prize as the most valuable player in the South African domestic cricket last season.
“I've had good people guiding me; at the Lions there was Neil McKenzie - an example of what it takes to succeed at international level - and obviously Gordon Parsons (the Lions bowling coach), who's just always been there for me and played a vital role throughout my career,” said Pretorius.
In last year's Sunfoil Series he scored more than 400 runs, made two centuries, averaged 30.92 with the bat and picked up 36 wickets at an average of 21.36 with the ball.
With the South African selectors desperate to widen the base of all-rounders available for international selection, Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo’s call-ups this week have great importance for the national side.
“I’m not sure where I fit in at the moment, and I don’t want to think about it that much. I must control what I can control, which is how I perform,” Pretorius remarked. “Right now I have this opportunity in the side to face Ireland. I'll work hard to prepare for that and then hopefully look to push for a regular spot in the series’ ahead.”
Pretorius added that the overall picture for South Africa’s all-rounders is a good one after a period - following Jacques Kallis’ retirement - when it appeared there was a dearth of talent in that area.
“There’s obviously Morry and Wayne (Parnell) who’ve played some international cricket, and then myself and Andile are coming up, so there are a few options now.
“As far as all-rounders are concerned, the biggest problem is inconsistency with the bat. That needs to change so that we can help the team - it is about being more consistent with the bat, while continuing to do a solid job with the ball.
“I see this as a big opportunity, but even when I go back to the Lions those are the kind of things I want to work on - consistency of performance.”
Saturday Star