NEW DELHI: The packed schedule of modern cricket is extremely demanding, and South African Wiaan Mulder believes the era of cricketers thriving in all three formats is slowly coming to an end. The 28-year-old, who plays for Texas Super Kings (TSK) in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC), reflected on the rapid growth of cricket in the United States, highlighted the benefits of South Africa’s multi-sport culture, and credited SA20 for strengthening the country’s international teams across all formats during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.ExtractsHow would you describe the cricket culture in the US?I think the culture of cricket is quite strong. Most of the local boys come from cricketing nations and have moved to the US to pursue a cricketing career. The quality of local players is really good.In our team (TSK), players like Abhi (Abhimanyu Lamba), Amshi (Amshi De Silva) and some of the South Africans who are now representing the USA are really strong cricketers. That’s one of the reasons why the league is so competitive.If you look at the top wicket-takers and top run-scorers, many of them represent the USA, which is a really promising sign for the league and cricket in this country. I hope they can produce more local players who are born and bred in America because that is ultimately the goal, to get Americans involved in the game and exposed to cricket. American sports fans are incredibly loyal to their own sport, so this is a barrier cricket needs to break. But I think this barrier is slowly starting to come down.
Texas Super Kings’ Wiaan Mulder greets the Seattle Orcas player after their six-wicket win in their opening match. (Photo courtesy: TSK)
Today, players who compete in all three formats have become rare, and you are one of those players. How difficult is it to sustain a career in Tests, ODIs, T20Is and franchise cricket? Is it sustainable in the long run?It’s really hard, to be honest. I saw a quote from Ashwin a couple of days ago where he said that T20 cricket should be treated almost like a different game from ODI and Test cricket. To some extent, I agree. Your skill sets have to continue to evolve in T20 cricket because the way the game is played now leaves little room for predictability. In one-day and four-day cricket, bowling at the top of the stumps is always very effective. In T20 cricket, I realized that there are a couple of weapons that I need to add to my arsenal as a bowler.As a paste, it is similar. Look at the innings Rowman Powell (27-ball 73) played against us. It’s pure hitting power. It’s not something you usually do in one-day or four-day cricket. There is a different element of batsmanship in those formats.
I saw a quote from Ashwin a couple of days ago where he said that T20 cricket should be treated almost like a different game from ODI and Test cricket. To some extent, I agree. Your skill sets have to continue to evolve in T20 cricket because the way the game is played now leaves little room for predictability.
William Mulder | The TSK player
Playing all three formats is extremely difficult and that is why very few players manage to have consistent success in all of them. Going forward, I think players will have to choose more and more. Your body takes a beating because each format requires something different physically. It becomes painful and uncomfortable.It is also difficult to stay away from T20 cricket because of the money involved. But Test cricket will always have a place for people who really love the game.
Guwahati, Nov 22 (ANI): South African batsman Wiaan Mulder plays a shot during the first day of the second Test match between India and South Africa at the ACA Stadium, in Guwahati on Saturday. (ANI photo)
People often talk about the adjustments needed when moving from T20 cricket to the longer formats. But what about the other way around? If someone is primarily a red-ball player, how many technical changes are needed to succeed in T20 cricket?There are many changes. Technique is one part of it and the mental side is another. If you look at the players who are still successful in T20 cricket, their techniques are often very different from those who excel in four-day cricket and, to some extent, one-day cricket as well. There are certainly technical adjustments necessary if you want to be successful in all formats. That’s what makes players like it AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli so special. They always find ways to adapt their games to different formats. Even someone likes it Jasprit Bumrah he has a skill set that is incredibly adaptable across all formats. Technique is a huge part of the game and is constantly evolving. Always try to find an edge, improve and help your team win because, in the end, that’s what it’s all about.
The Impact Player rule removes my biggest strengths, which are batting and bowling and bringing balance to the team. I think it’s great for the fans because teams can score 200 in almost any stadium.
William Mulder | TSK
As an all-rounder, what do you make of the Impact Player rule? Some senior cricketers believe that it affects the development of genuine all-rounders. How does it look?I think there is a reason you ask me because it almost takes me out of the game. The Impact Player rule removes my biggest strengths, which are batting and bowling and bringing balance to the team. I think it’s great for the fans because teams can score 200 in almost any stadium. The batsmen go all the way and see players like Venkatesh Iyer come to a No. 9 and score a fifty off 25 balls to win matches.So it’s definitely good for the spectators and probably for the business side of the game. But as a cricketer and someone who loves the game, I love the tactical battle, the cat-and-mouse aspect of cricket. The Impact Player rule removes some of that and makes it more of a one-way contest.Did he work in the IPL? Absolutely. It gave the batsmen tremendous freedom and forced the bowler to be incredibly accurate. Personally, though, I’d prefer it if it wasn’t there.
South Africa are the reigning WTC champions.
South African cricketers often play multiple sports. We’ve heard stories of players excelling in other sports. How much has that sporting culture helped South African cricketers, and what sport did he play growing up?I played a lot of sports growing up, tennis, rugby, cricket and golf. School sport is a massive part of South African culture. As children, we are encouraged to play as many sports as possible and simply enjoy the competition. It sure helps. I think it makes us more competitive and better athletes. If you look at South Africans in general, we’re pretty good athletes in different sports and I think that’s a competitive advantage. On the other hand, if someone specializes in a sport from a very young age, he can become exceptional very quickly.For me though, playing multiple sports has made me a better athlete and that is valuable in cricket because you need to bat, bowl and field. It definitely benefits us as a nation.
A lot of that comes from the SA20 because it exposed many domestic players to high-level cricket. It has had a massive positive impact not only on our domestic players but also on our international cricketers because we are constantly playing highly competitive cricket.
William Mulder | TSK
South African cricket has had a remarkable year, winning the World Test Championship after facing criticism for team selections earlier in the cycle. How do you see this team progressing across all formats, and can South Africa continue to win major titles?It was a special period for South African cricket. When we won the World Test Championship, we had so many players contributing. A lot of guys scored hundreds, a lot took five shots and different players scored at different times. Even in the final, different people made decisive contributions. That’s what made the team so strong.A lot of that comes from the SA20 because it exposed many domestic players to high-level cricket. It has had a massive positive impact not only on our domestic players but also on our international cricketers because we are constantly playing highly competitive cricket. I really hope it continues because I think South African cricket is moving in the right direction.
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The biggest challenge will always be to keep our best players engaged in international cricket. Not only in South Africa, but everywhere, the money offered by franchise leagues is incredibly attractive.Keeping players who prioritize international cricket with such demanding schedules is difficult. At the moment, we have players who put South Africa first and that is something we are right about. Whether it will continue in the long run, I’m not sure, but I hope it is because there is nothing like playing Test cricket for South Africa. The feeling and atmosphere of the team are very difficult to replicate elsewhere. I think international cricket will eventually be played in dedicated windows as franchise leagues continue to grow. But South African cricket has a very strong culture and we enjoy representing our country. If that remains the priority, I believe South Africa will continue to compete at the highest level.
