South Africa’s spin culture has changed drastically since the days when the Proteas tried to persude Claude Henderson to rescind his Kolpak contract with English County Championship side Leicestershire to come and play for the national team due to the lack of resources back home.
A decade later, though, Henderson now forms an integral part of the spin revolution that is currently engulfing the land as the Proteas spin bowling coach.
He shares his “excitement” of the progress made in an area that has traditionally been an Achilles Heel of South African cricket and how he marvels at the skill of Imran Tahir and energy levels of youngsters like Tabraiz Shamsi ahead of the Proteas Tri-Series ODI clash against world champions Australia in Barbados on Sunday. Zaahier Adams posed some questions to him.
ZA: Imran Tahir broke all sorts of records in St Kitts mid-week against the West Indies. How do you rate him as a spinner?
CH: Imran Tahir, in my opinion, has shown why he is the No 1 ODI bowler in world cricket. He has got great variation, he takes wickets and can bowl on any surface, especially when the wickets don’t spin, that is when he is very dangerous.
ZA: The dynamic of South Africa’s attack has changed dramatically during this Tri-Series with the Proteas playing two spinners, and even three on occasion, in every game. How has this come about?
CH: We are very fortunate to have a great mixture of spin bowling. The two leg-spinners – one right arm and the other left. Tabraiz Shamsi has come in as a new-comer and gives us the variation with his china-man and wrong ones. We also have the orthodox left-arm spin of Aaron Phangiso and off-course the all-round talents of JP Duminy who can also offer you some off-spinners. I suppose the challenge in the West Indies is that some of the grounds are bit small. Some of the wickets will assist, but some are quite tiny so I think the extra variation is key.
ZA: Just a few months ago Aaron Phangiso was at the crossroads of his international career due to being reported for an illegal action. He’s turned that misfortune around dramatically and is now arguably in the form of his life …
CH: Phangi went through a tough time changing his action before the T20 World Cup. I still can’t believe how he did it in four days. These things normally take two to three months. He bowled beautifully against the West Indies in Guyana, it was unfortunate that we lost that game. I had a week with Phangi in India and he’s in a good space. He is a crafty left-arm spinner, he has a lot of experience, shows great control, understands the conditions, fits in the unit and does what the captain asks of him. It’s always nice to have that.
ZA: The newcomer Tabraiz Shamsi seems to have added plenty of energy since joining the Proteas in the West Indies on his first tour. What’s been like working with him?
CH: I am extremely happy. My challenge is that they’re all different and react to different messages. They have walked the journey. Some of them are very young and some have been around for donkey years. He made his name in the CPL. The first time I saw Shamzi he was bowling to (Jacques) Kallis and (Kamran) Akmal and they got like two runs in two overs off him and that was in T20 cricket! I am still trying to work him out and figure out which the ball is spinning (laughs)!
ZA: International cricket is though a different beast to T20 domestic leagues. Do you think he will be able to adapt to the different demands and pressures?
CH: He has adapted well. He is fortunate that he has walked into a good environment led by solid senior players and good management. You need that as a young player because you can easily slip off the road. He is also fortunate that he has Imran there, they connect well and enjoy each other. It’s fantastic to see a 37-year-old sharing his knowledge with a young man like Shamsi.
ZA: How do you think you will be able to get the best out of an unconventional spinner like Shamzi?
CH: It’s important to keep him hungry, I think his enthusiasm for the game and his body language is key factors for him. He needs to keep his feet on the ground and understand what makes him successful, the basics. I hope he can keep it simple and try to assess the conditions as we go along, but most importantly bowl with a smile on his face.
ZA: Cricket South Africa has invested heavily in spin camps for both bowlers and batsmen over the past few years with winter tours to the subcontinent for players to enhance their skill. Do you think the emergence of young spinners like Shamzi is the fruits of these efforts?
CH: If you look back five/six years ago there weren’t many spinners around. Now suddenly you have a lot knocking on the door. It’s fantastic to have that luxury of having these guys around. If you look at the Test side too, there’s Dane Piedt who’s done really well. Then there’s Simon Harmer who is behind him who has also done really well. We also have Keshav Maharaj, a left-arm spinner that’s done really well for the Dolphins. And who knows where this is going to take us? It’s really exciting because of the variation that we have. It is not just finger spinners coming through, but there are leg-spinners too.
ZA: It is often said that the development of a spinner is directly proportional to the trust that a captain has in him. Do you think AB de Villiers is able to handle this new line of attack the Proteas are adopting?
CH: I thought his captaincy was outstanding in the last game. He had the attacking fielders up close around the bat plus the defensive fielders on the boundary.
AB’s been around hey … he understands the game. He’s played with world class cricketers and himself being the best the world. He’s good with people because he connects with them. The bowlers are very happy with the captain and that’s very important to have that communication.
ZA: The conditions at the previous venues in Guyana and St Kitts have been favourable for the spinners. Will the Proteas persist with their spin strategy now that the Tri-Series have moved to Barbados’ Kensington Oval?
CH: Barbados I’ve been told is a better batting wicket with a bit more bounce. I also believe the boundaries are also a bit bigger. Who knows, do we go in with three spinners, that is an option? I am always in favour of spin, I feel sides don’t really prepare that well against spin like they do for pace bowling. It’s nice to have this variation for this series.
ZA: The Proteas and Australia have each recorded a victory each over one another thus far in the Tri-Series. They play each again on Sunday with a place in the final at stake. Is there any extra pressure added to the match?
CH: Obviously we want to win every game we play, but we don’t want to over-emphasise it. It’s a game of cricket. I think we’re in a good space. The last win has given us a nice boost. The captain has led from the front and the senior players have put their hands up, which is important. A good knock from Hashim, it was his 23rd ODI century. That is amazing stuff. Quinny has played well, batted out character there batting with Hash. Faf du Plessis has come back from injury. I think he is key for this team: His knowledge on the field and the calmness in the dressingroom. It’s all good and hopefully we can get to the final and go from there.
DID YOU KNOW?
*Claude Henderson was the first the first Kolpak registered player in the English County Championship, which allows certain players without a British passport, to play in England without counting as an overseas player under the restrictions on overseas players when he joined Leicestershire in 2004.
*Henderson retired from first-class cricket at the end of the 2013 season at the ripe old age of 41.
*He made his Test debut in 2001 against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club and went on to play only six more Tests and four ODI’s.
*He did though play 273 first-class, 257 List A and 107 T20 matches claiming a sum total of 1315 wickets across formats. - Independent Media