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NEW DELHI: The busy calendar of modern cricket is extremely demanding and South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder believes that 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 the SA20 for strengthening the country’s international teams across all formats during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.PassagesHow would you describe the culture of cricket in the USA?I think the culture of cricket is quite strong. Most of the local boys are from cricketing nations and have moved to the US to pursue their careers in cricket. The quality of the local players is actually very good.In our team (TSK), players like Abhi (Abhimanyu Lamba), Amshi (Amshi De Silva) and some South Africans who are now representing 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 scorers, many of them represent the USA, which is a really promising sign for both the league and cricket in this country. Hopefully they can produce more local players who are born and raised in America because that is the ultimate goal, to get Americans into the game and expose them to cricket. American sports fans are incredibly devoted to their sports, so that’s a barrier that cricket has to break through. But I think that barrier is slowly starting to come down.
Texas Super Kings’ Wiaan Mulder greets a Seattle Orcas player after their six-game win in their first game. (Photo with permission: TSK)
Players who compete in all three formats are becoming rare these days, and you are one of those players. How difficult is it to sustain a career through Tests, ODIs, T20Is and franchise cricket? Is it sustainable in the long term?It’s really hard to be honest. I saw Ashwin’s quote a few days ago where he said that T20 cricket should be treated as a different game than ODI and Test cricket. I agree to some extent. Your skills need to develop in T20 cricket because the way the game is played now leaves very little room for predictability. In one-day and four-day cricket, off-stump bowling is still very effective. In T20 cricket, I realized that there are a few weapons that I need to add to my arsenal as a bowler.Like dough, it’s similar. See the changes Rovman Powell (27-ball 73) played against us. That’s a pure powerful punch. It’s not something you usually do in one-day or four-day cricket. There is a different element of batting in those formats.
I saw Ashwin’s quote a few days ago where he said that T20 cricket should be treated as a different game than ODI and Test cricket. I agree to some extent. Your skills need to constantly evolve in T20 cricket because the way the game is played now leaves very little room for predictability.
Wiaan Mulder | TSK player
Playing in all three formats is extremely difficult and therefore very few players manage to be consistently successful in all of them. Going forward, I think players will have to choose more and more. Your body suffers 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 truly love the game.
Guwahati, Nov 22 (ANI): South African batsman Wiaan Mulder takes 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 required when moving from T20 cricket to the longer formats. But what about the other way around? If one is primarily a red ball player, how much technical change is required to succeed in T20 cricket?There are a lot of changes. Technique is one part of it, and the mental side is another. If you look at players who are consistently successful in T20 cricket, their techniques often look very different to those who excel in four-day cricket and, to some extent, even one-day cricket. Technical adjustments are definitely needed if you want to be successful in different formats. That’s what the players like AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli so special. They consistently find ways to adapt their games to different formats. Even someone likes Jasprit Bumrah he has a skill set that is incredibly adaptable to different formats. Technique is a big part of the game and is constantly evolving. You’re always trying to find an edge, improve and help your team win because, ultimately, that’s what it’s all about.
The Impact Player rule takes away my biggest strengths, which are batting and bowling and balancing the team. I think it’s fantastic for the fans because teams can score 200 at almost any stage.
Wiaan Mulder | TSK
As an all-rounder, what do you think about the Impact Player rule? Some senior cricketers believe this affects the development of true all-rounders. How do you see it?I think there’s a reason you’re asking because it throws me off my game quite a bit. The Impact Player rule takes away my biggest strengths, which are batting and bowling and balancing the team. I think it’s fantastic for the fans because teams can score 200 at almost any stage. Batting line-ups go all the way and you see players like Venkatesh Iyer coming in at No.9 and scoring fifty off 25 balls to win matches.So it’s definitely good for the viewers and probably the commercial side of the game. But as a cricketer and someone who loves the game, I enjoy the tactical battle, the cat and mouse aspect of cricket. The Impact Player rule takes some of that away and makes it more of a one-way contest.Did he work in IPL? Absolutely. He gave hitters tremendous freedom and forced pitchers to be incredibly accurate. Personally, I’d rather not have it.
South Africa is the current WTC champion.
South African cricketers often grow up playing multiple sports. We have heard stories of players excelling in other sports. How much has that sporting culture helped South African cricketers and what sports did you play growing up?I played many sports growing up, tennis, rugby, cricket and golf. School sport is a big part of South African culture. When we are children, we are encouraged to play as many sports as possible and simply enjoy the competition. It definitely 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 one sport from a young age, he can very quickly become extremely skilled.However, for me, playing multiple sports has made me a better athlete, and that’s valuable in cricket because you have to bat, bowl and field. It certainly benefits us as a people.
A lot has come from SA20 as it has exposed many domestic players to high level cricket. This has had a huge positive impact not only on our domestic players but also on our international cricketers as we play very competitive cricket all the time.
Wiaan Mulder | TSK
South African cricket has had a remarkable year, winning the Test World Cup after facing criticism for its team selection earlier in the cycle. How do you see this team progressing across formats and can South Africa continue to win big titles?It was a special period for South African cricket. When we won the World Test Championship, we had so many players who contributed. A lot of guys scored hundreds of goals, a lot of them from five wickets, and different players stepped up at different times. And in the final, different people made a decisive contribution. That’s what made the team so strong.A lot has come from SA20 as it has exposed many domestic players to high level cricket. This has had a huge positive impact not only on our domestic players but also on our international cricketers as we play very competitive cricket all the time. I really hope that continues because I think South African cricket is moving in the right direction.
Do you agree that the era of cricketers excelling in all three formats is coming to an end?
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The biggest challenge will always be to keep our best players committed to international cricket. Not only in South Africa, but everywhere, the money offered by franchise leagues is incredibly attractive.It is difficult to keep players prioritizing international cricket with such demanding schedules. At the moment we have players who put South Africa first and that is something we have. I am not sure if it will continue in the long term but I hope it will because there is nothing better than playing Test cricket for South Africa. The feeling and team environment is very difficult to replicate anywhere else. I think international cricket will eventually be played in separate windows as the franchise leagues continue to grow. But South African cricket has a very strong culture and we love representing our country. If this remains a priority, I believe South Africa will continue to compete at the highest level.
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