Zaahier Adams
Former Liverpool FC boss Jurgen Klopp often referred to his Reds team as “mentality monsters”.
It was in tribute to their ability to overcome any obstacle through sheer bloodymindedness in the bid to achieve success. It should therefore be no surprise that Ashwell Prince – a die-hard Liverpool fan – sought out similar type players during his stint as head coach of the Cape Cobras.
Prince, who carved out a hugely successful Test career for the Proteas by being able to battle through tough situations, was not a coach that focused too much on style or technique. It did not matter if a batter’s elbow was high enough to drive the ball through the covers as long as it still went for a boundary. During this period, Prince guided young batters such as Tony de Zorzi, Janneman Malan, Kyle Verreynne and David Bedingham at the Cobras.
Bar Bedingham, who has a touch of undoubted class about him, the remaining trio are all not blessed with the most aesthetic of techniques. Yet, the entire quartet has gone on to play international cricket for the Proteas, with Malan, in particular, enjoying his most fruitful run-scoring period under Prince’s tutelage.
However, it is Verreynne that Prince holds dear. The ginger-haired wicket-keeper/batter endures plenty of criticism for his technique – or rather lack thereof – from purists. The most common thread relates to Verreynne’s lack of foot movement and eagerness to just “throw hands” at seaming deliveries outside the off-stump, along with a tendency to look to score behind square instead of in front of the wicket.
In contrast, Prince believes this is actually Verreynne's unique X-factor. He feels that Verreynne's approach to scoring runs is his strongest suit and perfectly fits the bill of being a “mentality monster”. This mindset was certainly evident during the first Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka this week, when the Proteas’ top-order misfired, leaving the visitors reeling at 99/5 as Verreynne walked to the crease.
Despite the challenging conditions and the Bangladeshi attack seeking to make inroads into the Proteas' lower order, Verreynne counter-attacked brilliantly, scoring a splendid second Test century. He eventually became the last man out for 114, pushing the Proteas to 308 all out and an overall lead of 202 runs.
“Kyle's biggest strength is his mentality,” said Prince, the Proteas' Test side’s batting coach.
“This is what I loved about Kyle when he was a young professional at the Cobras during my time there as coach. He believes that whatever the circumstances are, he is going to win that battle.”
Prince continued, “He is never bothered by what people say about his technique. In his mind, someone is coming with the ball, a team is coming with a bowling attack and a strategy, but he believes he is going to overcome that, which is his biggest strength.
“While people may focus on his technique, he finds ways to come up with answers because that's his mindset. It’s his strongest attribute.”
The milestone in Dhaka came 30 months after Verreynne’s maiden Test century against New Zealand in Christchurch. He feels that his innings at the Shere Bangla National Stadium was indeed a special one.
“It is definitely the best innings of my Test career,” Verreynne admitted.
“It is probably the toughest conditions I have played under in terms of heat and humidity. Back home, we don't face long periods of spin bowling. Around 90% of that innings was just against spin.
“Things happen quickly, and you don’t have much time to reset from a concentration point of view. This was certainly my most rewarding innings.”
He added, “This (century) felt better just in terms of the context of the game and the conditions. I think New Zealand is a lot similar to our conditions back home.
“To do this on the subcontinent, on quite a tough wicket and in difficult circumstances, is probably a better innings. It has been a long time since the one in NZ, so it is nice to get in another one.”