Justice didn’t do any favours to Stiaan van Zyl’s haplessness of ‘why don’t I get called up, and to also fulfil my childhood dream?’-Few have not been able to marvel at his technique-he’s one of few that still follow the old MCC manuals, and the batsman whose principals are still based around a senescent technique.
So, when his childhood dream came true-he was listed to go to the ‘minor’ nation of Zimbabwe-and, when he was not given any game-time, the selectors declared him as ‘undercooked’, but, really, when one goes to Zimbabwe…Van Zyl deserved to get a chance…to give players like him game-time under their belt would only have strengthened the Proteas’ depth barely months before the long-awaited spectacle of the World Cup.
Van Zyl was also controversially (and subsequently) forced to sit on the side-lines once more and carry drinks when the Kiwis toured, but, perhaps, the selectors always wanted to let him loose after that. Perhaps it was what he needed then, but I scathe the perception that you do not want to let a youngster be thrown in the deep end as ‘undercooked’, and, although I understand it, where some nations are adamant at the phrase ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’, conservatism is a trade that we have had for a long time, and one that has arguably made us ‘boring’.
However, it was high time that he must have played for the Proteas-his watertight technique reminds one vividly of the likes of Kallis-and when he got his chance, as all really classy batsmen do, he pounced on it, and food for thought emerged that he was born to get his childhood dream realised. That West-Indies coming of age, smashing his maiden hundred, which sadly up until now, has been the only thing he can be proud of, was a baptism of fire for him, and because he reminds one of Kallis, then one would thought that he was made for the limelight.
Here was this shy, young “Afrikaner”, who, although for his new-found confidence can’t be said to be similar to his South-African counterpart Kevin Pietersen, a man whom left his country of birth for salary elsewhere in England whilst being the Pietersen we have come to know over the years; Van Zyl scarcely fits the bill for being a “show-man”, like his English peer. He is the sort of man who does his job so that one doesn’t notice him like Pietersen, but one can’t help bring back joyous memories from Kallis when you think of him-both the same, silent while they are with bat in hand, but not those who shy away from euphoria when, like an unleashed dog, they can-Van Zyl is a man whom one will be glad to meet, with that shy Afrikaans smile also.
Van Zyl can’t complain about being ‘underused’, so what has made him get a lack of runs, and being under threat to just survive with many other knocking on the door for opportunity? Well, let’s go back to the beginning…back to where he ply’s his trade for the Cobras…
The phrase ‘next batter in line’ was justified by Van Zyl’s consistency for them-he can be put down to be the main reason for their success not long ago, along with fury Dane Paterson’s inspirational start to his career, and ageless Andrew Puttick’s consistent run-getting at an age where most of his fellow-peers had given up-and he certainly had what it takes to be regarded as South-Africa’s premier opener.
This was evident when the national selectors had taken notice of him, and realised that the only way for him to justify his selection would be to be willing to make the treacherous move of taking over in Alviro Petersen’s absence; they needed someone to succeed him: but who? Van Zyl of course. However, would it not have been wiser to have brought in a specialist opener, than to say to Van Zyl, ‘do you want to do it?’; maybe someone like Stephan Cook, a man who has been knocking on the door since his hugely successful past few years, or wunderkind Quinton de Kock, to implement a “David Warner-type of role”?.
But time is running out for Van Zyl; if he does not resurrect his career at the Wanderers, although he warrants being a part of the Proteas squad-and by that I mean to perhaps be tasked to resurrect their ‘fragile’ middle-order –but the Kallis’ are esteemed from where they began. And for Cook? Well, if Van Zyl does not survive the dreaded chopping block, Cook can expect word from the selectors any moment; he can only hope that Van Zyl’s unfortunate timing means a long awaited “comeback” for him. Or won’t he?