South Africa all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius on Monday said he would like to inculcate the legendary MS Dhoni’s calmness and self-belief while he has played so far just six matches, scoring 44 runs and taking six wickets with the best bowling figure of 2 for 30.
While preparing for the upcoming T20 series against India, Proteas all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius on Monday said he would like to inculcate the legendary MS Dhoni’s calmness and self-belief.
The all-rounder made his IPL debut for the Chennai Super Kings in the 15th edition and joined the franchise for a base price of Rs 50 Lakh.
Pretorius has played so far just six matches, scoring 44 runs and taking six wickets with the best bowling figure of 2 for 30.
The limited opportunities notwithstanding, Pretorius said playing alongside Dhoni has been his biggest gain.
“Playing my first IPL was a great experience. It was one of my bucket list items and that too to get the opportunity to play for CSK, one of the most successful franchises. I enjoyed every moment of it. You get a lot of responsibility as a player,”
the 33-year-old said.
“I enjoyed playing under Dhoni as well and batting with him, seeing the brand value he has in India just shows how big he is and what he has done for the sport in this country. It was awesome being a part of that.
“The biggest thing that I have learned from him is how calm he is at the crease, the way he takes the pressure off himself and tries to put it on to the bowler. He made me realize that at the death it’s the bowlers who are under pressure. It was a fresh mindset and also he doesn’t get too excited and is always optimistic.
“He believes he can do anything and I am going to try to bring his calmness and self-belief into my game,”
Pretorius added.
While talking about the series against India, Pretorius said it is a great opportunity for some South African players to cement their places in the national team ahead of the ICC men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. It would also be great to know the strengths and weaknesses of the Indian team going into the World Cup.
“A strong performance in this series is key for players keeping the T20 World Cup in mind. India is a strong T20 side and if we do well in this series, we can consider ourselves as a strong contender,”
he said.
“Performances in this series are going to go far to secure a spot in the World Cup.
Pretorius is targeting the series to establish himself as one of the best all-rounders in world cricket.
“You test yourself as a player against some of the best T20 players of the world. I want to push myself and make a good impact for the team. On a personal note, I want to win the series going into the World Cup.
“I want to establish myself as a leading T20 all-rounder in this series going into the T20 World Cup,”
he said.
The upcoming T20 World Cup will be played in Australia from October 16 to November 13.
The five-match T20 series between South Africa and India will start on Thursday, followed by matches in Cuttack, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, and Bengaluru.
