'I like to keep the team calm' - Yaseen Valli

Bowlers are finding it hard to see the back of Yaseen Valli. The South Africa Under-19 allrounder has been dismissed just once in three matches and as a result his average has inflated to 208. As of Tuesday, Valli sits on top of the run charts in the Under-19 World Cup. But more than the runs scored, it is the manner in which he has deflated the opposition. His coach Ray Jennings summed it up with a fitting compliment, saying Valli "handles pressure better than most."

The reference pointed to the opening match against West Indies where Valli pumped fuel into a faltering batting performance. At 117 for 8, being the only specialist batsman around, he marshalled the tail to take South Africa to a competitive 198, contributing a priceless 53. The innings featured fearless strokeplay, with gentle dabs, nudges and the odd scoop to fine leg to throw the bowlers off their rhythm. He smashed an unbeaten 102 off just 98 balls against Canada and followed it up with an unbeaten 53 against Zimbabwe. Importantly, all three were in winning causes.

The two 53s were played out in contrasting circumstances. The knock against West Indies in Dubai was the difference between South Africa being bowled out and batting out 50 overs. The pressure was of a lesser degree in Abu Dhabi against Zimbabwe, with South Africa losing two wickets off successive balls and needing a rebuild at 54 for 3 chasing 199. His innings was meant to be a supporting act for his captain Aiden Markram, who went on to score an unbeaten century.

The soft-spoken Valli comes across as a calm individual, and it's that calmness he hopes to permeate into the team, no matter what situation they are in. While it would suggest that he is a man for a crisis, he'd rather be perceived as someone who is dependable.

"I like to see myself as someone reliable," Valli said after his innings. "I like to keep the team calm. Just try to be myself as much as possible."

Valli, of Indian origin, was born and raised in Johannesburg where he attended the prestigious King Edwards VII school, which has produced Test cricketers such as Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie. Though his career is still in its nascent stages, being part of that assembly line is a humbling experience for him.

"It inspires you," Valli said. "You walk around and see the names on the board and it helps you set your standards high and motivates you to get there one day."

Valli's breakthrough series with the national U-19s was the quadrangular tournament in Visakhapatnam last year where he finished as the leading wicket-taker for his team with nine wickets, including a five-for against Australia. Valli was entrusted with the leadership in that tour but it changed hands for the World Cup, with Markram leading. Jennings said the decision was taken with Valli's best interests at heart, given his role as an allrounder.

"I've monitored him for about 5-6 years and he goes to one of my old schools," Jennings said when asked of his first sighting of Valli. "He captained the Under-19 side last year and we've taken away that responsibility from him because I think we needed to get more out of him, which I've done."

Being in the side purely as a regular player has coincided with his good form, having taken a four-wicket haul with his left-arm spin against Canada to complement his runs.

Jennings says that one of Valli's strengths is the ability to read the game. Studying the mind also happens to be Valli's specialisation at the University of Johannesburg, where he is pursuing his psychology degree.

"He reads batsmen very well and he can be a potential matchwinner with the ball too," Jennings said. "He has a good brain. He reads the game well. He can play in any role I put him in. An organised, knowledgable cricketer."

Jennings adds that a coach can't necessarily teach a player to deal with pressure. It has to come from within. "I think you need some sort of character to handle those situations," Jennings said."You can't really teach that. It's the opportunities and the experiences the guys get along their way and how they handle it. He is one of the guys who handles pressure better than most."

The pressure will increase with South Africa entering the knockouts. Valli will hope the team is as adept as him in withstanding the crunch situations.