Marco Jansen sings Adrian Birrell praises ahead of SA20 playoffs
Marco Jansen (left) credits Adrian Birrell’s consistent communication and team unity for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s success as they enter the SA20 playoffs once more. Picture: Shaun Roy / Sportzpics
Image: Shaun Roy / Sportzpics
As the Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) look to make it three titles in four seasons of the SA20 as the competition enters the knockout phase on Wednesday, allrounder Marco Jansen has praised the efforts of Adrian Birrell, which has been a major reason the franchise has been so successful.
SEC finished top of the log after 10 matches and will face off against the Pretoria Capitals at Kingsmead on Wednesday for a place in the final.
The loser won’t be eliminated though; they will have another chance at making the final in the second qualifier.
Birrell has brought a distinctly South African flavour to the side as a former assistant coach of the Proteas.
The Key to Sunrisers’ Success: Consistency and Team Unity
“I think the main secret behind the consistency of the team is that Coach Adi stays consistent in how he communicates with every player and how he makes every player believe in himself and his ability,” Jansen told SportsBoom.co.za.
“He has a way of keeping everyone involved, whether you’re playing or not playing. I think that definitely plays a big role.”
Birrell has also been in charge at SEC since the start of the SA20, and that consistency in management has yielded incredible results.
“Obviously, the past four seasons, the team, whoever is new, whoever has been there, whoever has been around, everyone tries to be nice to everyone. We go out for dinner or a drink or whenever just to relax.
“And then on the field, we find a way to pull games through for the team. I think those are two reasons why we’ve been so consistent in the way we’ve been playing and also consistent in terms of winning games and all those kinds of things for the Sunrisers.”