Reeza Hendricks was left staring at a Bloemfontein hospital ceiling one fateful evening back in November 2012 wondering what he was doing at third man in a One-Day Cup clash against the Dolphins.
Usually an agile and nimble fielder at backward point or in the cover region, for some reason the hot-shot kid from Kimberley was left patrolling the boundary fence. Then disaster struck. Attempting to complete a routine throw-in, Hendricks slid awkwardly and twisted his ankle suffering severe ligament damage.
Hendricks was left feeling numb. Not by excruciating pain, rather by the fact that his promising career had come to a standstill and he was uncertain when – or if – it would resume anytime soon again. At 22, Hendricks had the cricket world at his feet. Everything had gone according to plan since being part of the South African Under-19 team, which was led by Wayne Parnell and included a host of future first-class players who had only just been defeated by Virat Kohli’s Indian side in the ICC Under-19 World Cup final in Kuala Lumpur four years previously.
A seamless transition into the then-Eagles, which became the Knights team, was followed by selection for the SA A side. Further impressive performances under the watchful eye of Vinnie Barnes, coupled with good early domestic season form, had put young Hendricks firmly on the radar of the national selection panel.
“That injury was devastating. I was playing really well at the time. I was putting the numbers on the board and things were going well. I remember thinking what was going to happen, would it ever heal 100 percent?”
Hendricks, now 25, said this week from his home in Bloemfontein, after being named one of four uncapped players in the Proteas Test squad for the tour to Bangladesh next month: “That’s why this Test call-up means so much to me. Through that injury I realised cricket is my career and that it could be taken away very easily. One bad injury and I would have to find ‘a real job’. That motivated me and helped me through my rehabilitation programme and pushed me to get as fit as I can be – both mentally and physically.”
Hendricks missed the remainder of the 2012/13 season and only returned to action the following winter for the SA A team in a series against their Australian counterparts. Playing against the likes of Shaun Marsh, Aaron Finch, Alex Doolan, David Warner, Moses Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Tim Paine, Nathan Coutler-Nile, Josh Hazelwood and Pakistan-born leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed was no easy task in a comeback game after such a long lay-off, but Hendricks acquitted himself well with a first-innings 47 – and, more importantly, spent 105 minutes at the crease.
However, his former Knights teammate and opening partner, Dean Elgar, was absolutely brilliant in that high-scoring match, registering a career-best 268. The innings sent Elgar on his way to the Proteas Test squad where he took hold of the opening slot in the world No1 Test side once former captain Graeme Smith retired.
Hendricks is delighted his former roommate Elgar and good friend Rilee Rossouw have moved on to bigger things.
He is overjoyed that having tasted international action with the Proteas Twenty20 side in Australia last year and having received the much-sought-after call from Andrew Hudson earlier this week, it is Elgar who could be his partner at the other end should he be awarded a maiden Test cap in Chittagong next month.
“I am happy for Dean and the way he has taken his chances. I know him very well – both on and off the field – and he has done really well since opening in the Test team,” Hendricks said. “I had a taste of international action Down Under. It was so different to domestic cricket. The intensity, the small margins for error, I felt I wasn’t getting any bad balls to put away. At home, as a batsman, there are always a couple of over-pitched or short deliveries. Precise preparation is key in international cricket.
“I don’t know if I will get an opportunity in Bangladesh, but it will be great should I be granted the proudest moment of my career – and share it with Dean. Walking out with Dean on my Test debut would be really cool,” he added.
Hudson backed up the rookie in view of his potential to follow the path of Warner in terms of how the Australian dynamo transferred his excellent Twenty20 and one-day form to the Test arena, especially as Hendricks struck two thrilling one-day centuries in a row against the England Lions last season.
Hudson also believes Test standards have moved on and that teams now require an attacking opening batsman to attack the new ball and that Hendricks could fit the bill perfectly for South Africa going forward, especially as Alviro Petersen also retired at the end of last season.
The youngster does not want labels stuck on him and is prepared to work out his game first, hopefully with some guidance from his all-time hero, who happens to be his Test captain Hashim Amla. “I know I didn’t have the best of seasons last year in four-day cricket. In terms of runs I should have got more, but hopefully I can have a few chats with Hashim. I would really like to find out how he goes about his business and hopefully I can learn from the great man,” said Hendricks. - Saturday Star