NEWS
Follow UsDuanne Olivier, who signed a Kolpak deal in 2019, has framed his Test cap and might need a new one if he is part of South Africa’s playing XI for the first Test against India in Centurion, starting on Sunday (December 26). "I am going to have to ask if I can get a new one. Otherwise I need to break the frame," said Olivier.
Now that Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the three-match Test series, Olivier is likely to feature in the first encounter. He will be the centre of attraction in the series. And that goes irrespective of his selection in the XI, primarily because of his bittersweet past with South Africa cricket.
As a 24-year old, Olivier began his Test career with South Africa in 2017 and became the latest sensation of the Protea fire with his wicket-taking ability. He snaffled 48 wickets in only 10 Tests, averaging 19.25 runs per wicket. He was the Player of the Series in the three-Test series against Pakistan in the 2018/19 season, pouching 24 wickets at 14.7 runs apiece. He likes to hit the deck which generally troubles the Asian batters.
However, that was also the time when it became clear that he would quit South Africa cricket, opting for a Kolpak deal with the English county Yorkshire. He even expressed his desire to represent England. But after more than two years, the abolishment of the Kolpak system brought him back to his native country in April, 2021. Olivier played for the Lions in the ongoing first-class competition. Named in the 21-man squad for South Africa’s Test series against India, this will be Olivier’s first re-introduction to international cricket.
"I am a nervous person when it comes to playing. Wherever I play I am always nervous. If it's my first over, I am very nervous. I'll have different feeling this time. will be different feelings. Maybe it might be similar to a debut because I haven't played for three years. It will be interesting to see what the nerves will be like but I'm sure, if I am selected to play, I think my nerves will be shot through the roof," said the right-arm paceman.
Duanne Olivier will be a player to keep a keen eye on for the #SAvsIND Test series😎 Here's more on the South African pacer 🔥 #TestCricket #SouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/71hP5JwHAs
— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) December 23, 2021
"I know people will have mixed feelings about it (signing the Kolpak deal), but at the end of the day, it's okay. You handle that and you deal with those pressures or the criticism that comes with that. For me, it's probably the biggest series I will play so, if selected, there will be those pressures. We're playing against world class players but at the same time, it's an exciting challenge. Like, I'll need to bowl to (Virat) Kohli. It will be tough, but it's exciting.
"We'll be bowling to probably the top four batters in the world. It's like making a statement to them. We are here to compete. We are not just going to roll over. For me, that's very important: throwing the first punch, to know that you are here, you are present."
Olivier believes the experience of playing in England has helped him mature as a cricketer and a person. “Firstly, I am more mature and a bit more grown up. And from a cricketing point of view, I do genuinely believe I am different. The UK helped me a lot in perfecting that fuller length that every bowler wants to bowl.
“For me, it was quite difficult because it can come across floaty and I wasn't that consistent. I am still working on it and I am not going to get it right every single time but the three years I spend in the UK helped me immensely, just the way I approach my game. I can still go short if I want to, but at the end of the day, the games dictates that. People thought I only bowl short and fair enough, I did that but now I feel like I have a different element to my game."
South Africa Test captain Dean Elgar too said the same thing earlier this week. “You can see that he's a different cricketer to what he was the first time he played for us And, that's a good thing. Obviously with his trip away from South Africa, he's learnt a lot, he's played a lot of cricket in the UK, so he's bringing a lot of knowledge and experience back into the change room, which is something that we need at the moment,” said Elgar.
Meanwhile, India have played some outstanding cricket in overseas Tests but are yet to win a Test series in South Africa. “It's a massive series. They (India) haven't won here, so they want to come and win here and for us, we don't want that to happen,” said Olivier.
(Image credit: Cricket South Africa)