The Proteas were training at the rustic Harare Country Club. AB de Villiers was the batsman and balls were flying off the bat of the Proteas one-day captain with regularity into the nearby gym where Zimbabwe’s elite were forced to take cover.
The bowler was rookie left-arm swing-bowler Mthokozisi Shezi. With only the experience of a maiden one-day international appearance a few days earlier, Shezi wanted to test his skills against the very best the game has to offer.
He may have come off second best that day – like many others including Dale Steyn have before against De Villiers – but the 27-year-old certainly had a mindset that not many modern-day bowlers have: he wanted to bowl at the death.
“I want to bowl at the death for the Proteas. I think it is the one gap that there is in the Proteas team. There are not many gaps in that team, that’s a gun team, but I think there are opportunities to bowl at the death for South Africa. And I want to be that man,” Shezi said at his new home ground, Newlands, yesterday.
Death bowling has certainly been the Achilles heel of Proteas’ teams in the past, with only Steyn among the current group who is able to consistently hit his lines, lengths and most importantly yorkers at the most hectic period of the innings. Shezi did not get the opportunity to showcase his death-bowling abilities in his solitary ODI appearance – last month against Zimbabwe – and will not do so again at international level in the near future as he has missed out on selection for the Proteas limited-overs tour to New Zealand and Australia later this month.
But instead of sulking and moping around, the direct opposite is true of Shezi’s demeanour at the moment.
He wears an almost permanent smile, skips around enthusiastically and his eyes gleam from excitement. So what has the Cape Cobras latest recruit brimming like a Cheshire cat?
“I told myself before the Proteas squads were announced that it would be great to be involved at the highest level again. But also if I did miss out, it would be an opportunity to start my new adventure with the Cape Cobras. I have just completed my first training session with all the guys, and it really is such a good feeling to have mixed with my new teammates. Everyone was welcoming and I can’t wait to wear the blue and yellow for the first time.
“The Cobras are used to success and winning trophies and I certainly want to help sustain that winning culture. I can only do that though if I nail down my skills from the outset.”
Coach Paul Adams will certainly need Shezi to be on top of his game from the word go this Saturday in the opening One-Day Cup clash against the Knights in Kimberley.
Adams’s squad is certainly still feeling the after-effects of the Champions League T20 blowout in India last month, with the High Performance Centre at Newlands being transformed into a temporory SOS injury ward.
Besides being hampered by the long-term injuries to Beuran Hendricks (back) and Dane Piedt (shoulder), the Cobras have also lost the services of all-rounder Justin Kemp (hand) and fast-medium bowler Dane Paterson (ankle) for this weekend’s clash. Captain Justin Ontong is also still undergoing treatment to be ready by Saturday.
“I know it is not a nice situation for a coach to have so many injuries, but personally I see it as an opportunity for me to lay down a marker here at the Cobras. If Beuran was fit, he would probably have bowled at the death with Rory (Kleinveldt) but now that responsibility will most likely be mine and it is something that I relish.” - Cape Times