da leao： Ray Jennings, the South African coach, talks to Wisden Cricinfo about the road to recovery and the unique challenges that confront South African cricket
da wazamba： Dileep Premachandran and Nagraj Gollapudi27-Nov-2004But for the Apartheid-era isolation, Ray Jennings would probably be remembered as one of the world’s great wicketkeepers, on a par with Rodney Marsh, Bob Taylor, Syed Kirmani, Wasim Bari and Jeff Dujon. Forced to play his cricket in isolation, Jennings was an integral part of a great Transvaal side – Graeme Pollock, Clive Rice and Vintcent van der Bijl were among the other stalwarts – that would have wiped the floor with most international opposition back in the late 1970s and early ’80s. After a successful if controversial stint in charge of Easterns, Jennings was pitchforked into the national spotlight as South African cricket continued its freefall. On the final day of the Kanpur Test, he talked about the road to recovery and the unique challenges that confront South African cricket:
‘A lot of cricketers have forgotten about the values and principles of life …’© Getty Images
First off, why would you grant an interview during a match?
During the match, the process is on its way. After the day’s play, I need time to myself. I have to energise, and keep my own head up. So I like to leave at about 6.30pm and switch off, and I belong to myself from then till the next morning. Most of the chats I have with players are from when I wake up till 6.30. I have enough support structures to handle what goes on in the middle.You’ve been with this team now for two months. Do you think your approach is working?
There’s no doubt [that it is]. I’ve got to lead from the front as well, to show the players the energy, the passion, the care and the love for the game. I could reject a tough interview but I don’t do that. Players can reject signatures, but we need to recreate the culture that the side does belong to the public. We need that type of support. A lot of cricketers have forgotten about the values and principles of life.You have a penalties-and-rewards type of training system. Does that work at this level?
Well, you can judge for yourself, watching the energy and commitment from the players. India were 204 for no loss at one stage, and could have gone anywhere. The two or three [training] games we played yesterday were to energise the side and make sure we enjoyed the match within our own parameters. We set targets, and if the players don’t get those targets, they get penalised by running round the field. It’s not “You’re a bad guy, so run around the field.” It’s a joke among the players to say “Look, I don’t want to run, you run,” and it creates a different type of dynamics within the side. It’s not about “Oh, you’re a naughty guy, so you run around like a schoolboy.” When I look at cricket at the moment, I think the players sometimes are bored. They play so much, they go through their routines at the same pace all the time, and you don’t see the energy and intensity at times when it’s needed. Look at the final day [at Kanpur]. We could have arrived at the ground this morning and gone through the motions. But we didn’t.Both you and your captain are intense individuals. Are there clashes as a result of that?
There’s absolutely none. Graeme Smith talks my language. What we’ve done really well together is that I back off and he takes control of the chats, and when he’s working hard I take control. I’ve enjoyed our association. He’s a hard guy, he wants to do it right, he’s methodical, he’s young, he’s exciting – he’s all that I believe I’m looking for in a captain.You must have observed this team before taking charge. What does Smith lack as a captain?
One of the areas we’re working on is his softness. At 23 years old, you walk on water. You believe you can’t be broken, you’re always go-go-go. A leader needs the qualities to be hard and to be soft. Take for example in the middle of a Test match, when things are really heated. You need that softness to go to a player and say “Listen, I’m feeling for you.” In the middle of trying times, Graeme has to show that softness to people. Sometimes, that softness can make you powerful. It’s not about getting things all the time, it’s also about learning to give. We’re working on his interviews as well to make sure that he’s genuine and honest.Talent is over-rated. If people can use their brains and their energy, the talent will come through.You have six months on this contract. What are the short-term goals?
I think one of them is to make sure that the values and principles of life are implemented in the side, to make the guys realise that we are representing our country. We’re all well-paid, but we have to keep our feet on the ground and remain honest, genuine human beings.Is there pressure to implement those goals in such a short time?
Look, if I only influence two people, I’m going to be happy. I’d like to believe that when I finish my term in May, the players will miss my values and my energy levels in the side. Players have to realise that when they disappoint me, they disappoint their fellow players and such emotions start pulling the side down. This is about a group of people, it’s not about one individual. When a bowler bowls the ball without being committed, he’s letting the ten other guys, me, and all the fans, down.What would phase two be, if you got the chance?
That would be making sure that the people I’m working with are those who will remain with me for a period of time till World Cup 2007.You started this tour with the “love-and-care” mantra. What’s next?
The love-and-care approach would always remain in the side. You can see that the players are probably more friendly with the public than the Indian side. It saddens me when a 12-year-old kid comes up to you and asks for an autograph, and you’re too busy to do it. There’s a time to do it, and a time not to do it, I know, and the players must learn that. Love and care energises people.But what are your other philosophies?
Well, I’ve always said that talent is over-rated. You’ll pull a face when I say that, but when you get to this level, players are talented. It’s how you get that talent out of their bodies. It’s not talent that hits a ball, or bowls it, it’s energy you need. You also need understanding. If people can use their brains and their energy, the talent will come through.So you’re interested in the psychological aspect then?
Well, my brother is a sports psychologist. To me, cricket is about when to hit the ball, and what to do under pressure. Andrew Hall showed that, when he scored 163 despite having limited skills to open the batting. He showed the patience and the commitment, and that’s a skill that a lot of the younger players lack at the moment.
Graeme Smith has Jennings’s vote of confidence to lead the side© Getty Images
You said in an interview that changes in key positions could make the team suffer …
My point is that you can’t grow too many young guys too quickly. In a team of 14, maybe you should look at two. When you put in four, it becomes a problem balancing the side. You can’t come to India with too many young guys because it’s a special place to tour. I felt personally that I needed two or three experienced players around two or three junior players because the younger ones need to be leaning on the older ones out in the middle when the pressure hits. Unfortunately, I’m one of four selectors and they felt differently, and I have to accept such tough situations.What about the transformation policy? Gerald Majola was saying the other day that selectors should be adventurous.
I don’t think it’s got anything to do with transformation; it’s got to do with a vision of cricket. There was never a transformation issue in my thought pattern. It was more of “I don’t agree with you.”What’s your take on transformation, though?
Look, in South African cricket, that’s the policy and my take is that it’s something that society is dealing with, and I’m happy to be involved in it. We’ve got black players that are very talented and we’re going to be playing them. It’s the way you balance the side that worries me. It’s not a matter of transformation, it’s about balancing the side so that it gets the best opportunity to perform.What about taking on teams like India and England, and starting as the underdogs?
Well, when we came here, they said we’d be wiped out inside two or three days, and that hasn’t happened. Nothing scares me. That “failure feeling” is actually a nice one because it gets my adrenalin pumping. We’ll see what happens. The South African is like a wounded animal, and he will stand up and be counted. We’ve got a fighting spirit, a tradition of never making it easy for others. We might have eleven inexperienced players, but we will make our mark. We won’t lie down.
