Fanie De Villiers had to wait till his 29th birthday to make his Test debut for South Africa. But the wait was well worth it. In only his second Test in Sydney, he sent Australia tumbling to 111 all out with a six-wicket burst when they needed only 117 to win and wrote himself into the record books.
De Villiers was in Cape Town, on Sunday, where he saw South Africa blooming, gasping, recovering and, finally, collapsing to the West Indies. The fast-medium bowler spoke to Assistant Editor Faisal Shariff on the defeat and the possibility that he might come to India as a fast bowling coach. Excerpts:
Were you surprised at South Africa's last-over tumble?
If somebody scores a big hundred, the chances of winning a game are few. How often do you win a match if a guy in the opposition scores a hundred? Ninety per cent of the time you lose the game.
Will the defeat impact South Africa's World Cup hunt?
It's way too early to say anything. It's the Super Six that will be important -- that's when the real cricket will begin and that's when teams slip into top gear. Early on, you try to work out the combinations. But the defeat should not overly bother us. We saw Australia do badly and still win the World Cup in 1999. It is about how you handle the pressure that matters. We have enough players to handle the pressure better than any other team.
Was this another close game or are the South Africans living up to their 'chokers' tag?
To be honest, many teams would not have been able to get to where we did after the early debacle. That is a big plus. This team is fantastic.
What were the positives to come out of South Africa's first match?
Lance Klusener's return to form, and the way Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini bowled. But one thing is clear: we ought to get Andrew Hall into the team. He must play. We need to have the bowlers to rein in the opposition's middle-order. That is all we need to fine tune. Jacques Kallis must get his toe right and that is the reason why he isn't bowling as fast as he should. If we get Hall and a fully-fit Kallis to follow after Pollock and Ntini, then we are fine.
How did you view Brian Lara's match-winning innings?
He survived a catch off the first ball, a difficult catch, and batted well later. I don't think our bowling was on par. I don't mind somebody saying that somebody batted very well. He [Lara] hit the bad balls for four but he did not hit many good balls for four, which means that we bowled badly.
Are you still in the running to become India's bowling coach?
They want me full-time but I cannot come on full-time. So nothing has come of it so far. Hopefully, I can do something for India later on. If they really want me to give advice on what bowlers need to do and be in the modern era, I will do it.
How do you assess the current Indian bowling attack?
They are a young crop but they are still not there to tell the seniors that they are not needed around any more. They are not good enough to take over yet. John Wright is working on them and I hope that they carry the experience of playing in tournaments here in the last few years into the World Cup. If they don't, then Wright is right; they need a bowling coach with him. That's why he wanted me.
What would you have done if you were in charge of the bowlers?
I believe that I can not only make a difference but I can make a hell of a lot of difference. Fast bowling is not fitness alone. It is also about cardio-vascular endurance and muscular endurance. And they are just two of the six or seven vital components. If you don't look after that, you won't have a strong bowling attack. You can't afford injuries. That is the blueprint that must be in place.
Why does Pakistan produce so many fast bowlers and India none? Because the knowledge of Imran Khan has gone into Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis and from them into Shoaib Akhtar and the other bowlers. The board must put such a system in place. We need facilitators in India.
Where do you place India's chances in the World Cup?
In the previous World Cup, I said they would make the final and they did not. This time I am again inclined to say that they are good enough to make the final but because they played so badly in South Africa I doubt it. How many teams played here before the World Cup started to acclimatise themselves? You need guys who can use their knowledge of the conditions and the grounds, and feed it to themselves.
Is there enough fuel left in Srinath to continue after the tournament?
I haven't seen him bowl recently, so I can't say. But do you think there is enough fuel left in Allan Donald to bowl here? I don't think so. He hasn't got it any more. You need pace; you need Ntini coming in and bowling 140 kmph and taking two wickets. Alan does not have pace in him any more.
Should Allan Donald say goodbye?
Not really. He can help in many ways. But in crunch games you need pace. Andrew Hall bowls quicker than Donald. Ask any South African here and you will have the answer. It is not even a question here.
