India and South Africa’s rich run of form in the ongoing ICC Men’s ODI World Cup has made the encounter between the two sides, at the iconic Eden Gardens on November 5, a highly anticipated one. While the Men in Blue are looking to continue their unbeaten run in the marquee tournament, the Proteas would be looking to confirm their semi-final place and make a statement against the hosts on Sunday.
Ahead of the game, Robin Peterson, the former South Africa all-rounder, in an exclusive interview with RevSportz, talked about a range of subjects ranging from South Africa’s cracking run, Heinrich Klaasen’s mind-blowing transformation, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, India’s bowling attack, that win against India in the 2011 World Cup and much more.
Here are the excerpts:
Subhayan Chakraborty: What’s your take on the World Cup so far?
Robin Peterson: It’s been an amazing World Cup so far. Plenty of surprises and South Africa doing well under the radar. India, of course, is a favourite each time they play and now, it also looks like the Aussies have joined the race. So, it’s all hotting up at the backend of the tournament.
Subhayan: What about South Africa’s attacking brand of cricket? They are blowing away the opposition.
Peterson: It’s exciting. It’s a brand of cricket they have tried for a while now and it’s great to see it coming off out there. This side has a lot of experience now, they know the conditions well and how to execute their plans. That middle order has plenty of power and depth as well with Marco Jansen coming at No. 7, and he has started to fulfill his batting potential. It’s amazing to watch, exciting, entertaining and powerful. For a long time, England played this brand of cricket but now it looks like South Africa has taken over the mantle in this World Cup.
Subhayan: What do you think has been the biggest reason behind South Africa’s run of form?
Peterson: Maturity has played a big role. They have been around for a while now. The group is aligned to the philosophy, how they want to go about their business. Everyone is buying into that as a group. They have played a lot of IPL for a long time now, so they are used to the conditions, playing high-pressure cricket in India. That always helps. People didn’t expect a lot from them, but they did from themselves. They have set some high goals for themselves and that’s what I think has been the secret behind their success.
Subhayan: Everyone is talking about Heinrich Klaasen. What do you think has helped him transform into a complete beast?
Peterson: Having been involved in domestic cricket, this is what I am used to seeing of Heinrich Klaasen. What you are seeing now in international cricket, Heinrich is used to doing that in domestic cricket, week in and week out. It’s all about confidence and now he has got the backing of the team management and selectors – that you are going to play, go be yourself out there – that plays a massive role. IPL experience is there too. Great to see him replicating his domestic form in international cricket, and what better place than to do it in the World Cup.
Subhayan: Talk us about that 2011 World Cup win against India in Nagpur. You silenced the entire crowd there.
Peterson: What I remember from that game is that we were under pressure for 30 overs. Virender Sehwag made runs, and Sachin Tendulkar got a hundred. Everyone was smashing us. We had one white ball that time and Dale Steyn came with his reverse swing and turned the game completely with a five-for. We had prepared well for that, but India in that World Cup was by far the best team for the conditions. But that game will forever be etched in our memories. I still get messages about that game even after more than 10 years. South Africa has got a good record against India in India so let’s see what this team has planned for this Indian team in this World Cup. Going to be an exciting match in Kolkata.
Subhayan: You had dismissed Virat Kohli in that game. Did any of you imagine that Kohli would end up becoming the player he is today?
Peterson: My first memory of Virat Kohli was watching him in the Champions Trophy in India. He played against us in a warm-up game in New Delhi as a young boy. He scored some 70 runs. We didn’t know who he was but there were signs that there was someone special. You fast forward a couple of years, and that guy ended up being a World champion. Having followed his career ever since then, it’s been great how quickly he matured as a player. He always had that fire and ambition in his eyes but to keep evolving with time is something special in him. His desire to win matches for India, his mental capacity is second to none. He will go down as one of the greats of the game when he eventually decides to step away.
Subhayan: And what about this game between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens?
Peterson: India will go into this match as hot favourites, but if any team can defeat India in this World Cup, then I feel it’s the Proteas. We have got a good pace attack, and two good spinners, so our bowlers would be ready for the conditions. But India in India is such a hard task. Even if they bench two or three players, they wouldn’t lose any quality – that’s how good they are. Let’s see what happens on November 5.
Subhayan: If you are sitting in that South African dugout, what would be your message to tackle Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both in red-hot form?
Peterson: That’s the magic trick if you have to beat India. These two (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) are complete players on both sides of the wicket. The tactic, I reckon, would be short and aggressive bowling which they may or may not fall into. Both players are incredible pullers and hookers of the ball. But I think South Africa will invite them to pull and hook, keep their feet inside the crease, and try and get an outside edge or LBW. It’ll be an incredibly difficult task, especially against those two.
Subhayan: Coming to the Indian bowling unit, is it the best in the world right now?
Peterson: Yes, if we are talking about striking ability. They have a great balance. I feel Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are the best two opening bowlers, extremely skilful, can swing and seam and most importantly, they can bowl in any phase of the match. Shami, for one, has completely transformed his bowling in the last few years. Kuldeep Yadav with his wrist-spin picked up wickets and then not forget Ravindra Jadeja. The variety is amazing, and I think India can play this bowling attack every time regardless of the conditions or the pitch. That’s how good they are.
Subhayan: South Africa’s rugby team recently won the World Cup in a dramatic fashion. Do you think that would work as a motivation for the cricket team? Should the players dial up the rugby players for some motivation before pressure games?
Peterson: I don’t think there’s a more mentally resilient sports team than the South African rugby team, what they have done in the last six years. I think a lot of the rugby and cricket players went to school together, so they would know each other from the school level. There should always be a transfer of knowledge about how to handle pressure, big games and the mental side of the game. The rugby team has won four World Cups and the cricket team has won none, so that would push the cricket boys to try and go all the way this time around.
Subhayan: How was your experience in Major League Cricket? You won the trophy with MI New York. What are your future ambitions as a coach?
Peterson: It was an incredible experience in Major League Cricket, being part of the MI New York setup. I was truly privileged to be given that opportunity from the owners. It was the first time for a major franchise league in the United States. We didn’t start well but kept our team environment good and then managed to win some big games and sneaked into the finals and won it. We had some great leaders and players – Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Tim David, and even Dewald Brevis matured a lot during that period. It was great to see the players becoming such a tight group. Talking about my ambitions, everyone would love to coach in the IPL one day and in international cricket, you could coach any team and do well on that stage in today’s time. I don’t look too far ahead, and I am happy where I am, developing some of the most exciting youngsters in South Africa at my local union.
Subhayan: Talking about cricket in the US, how big is cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028?
Peterson: It’ll be massive. That’s what we all wanted, cricket entering new markets. For far too long, we have seen the Test nations dominating the space of cricket but now with the Olympics, the sport will enter new markets, especially in the US. I saw a great thirst for cricket in the US. Yes, there’s a massive Asian diaspora but even the locals started to come in for games and enjoy it. I feel cricket needs to go truly global and new teams need to emerge for the sport to go to the next level.
Rapid fire:
Who do you think will win between India and South Africa in Kolkata?
India
Your pick for the best batter in the World Cup?
Virat Kohli
Your pick for the Player of the Tournament?
Virat Kohli
Your pick for the best bowler in the World Cup?
Mohammed Shami
Your prediction for World Cup finalist?
India and South Africa