Nel demands more passion from the Lions

Andre Nel, the South African fast bowler, has said that a desire to play a bigger role in mentoring junior players caused him to switch from the Titans to the Lions. The move has denied Nel the chance of playing the lucrative Champions League with the Titans.

"(McKenzie) wanted me to come here and help him lead and set an example for these guys," he was quoted as saying in the Gauteng-based Star. "I wasn't used like that at the Titans. I just felt like a part of the furniture there. I've got a lot of knowledge and I want to teach guys and that's what I'm excited about." Nel has played 36 Tests for South Africa and 107 first-class matches since his debut in 1996-97.

Nel, an aggressive fast bowler who doesn't shy away from exchanging words with the opposition on the field, said that he could instill the energy which he felt the Lions, who finished bottom in two of the three domestic competitions last season, were missing. "(I bring) that killer instinct, that deep-down desire to do well, and passion," he said. "Maybe that was lacking here, and maybe I can teach these guys to get that and to bring that aggression to the fore at the right stages."

Nel will be available for the first two rounds of the SuperSport Series before heading to a camp with the national team ahead of the home series against Bangladesh. The Lions kick off their campaign in Johannesburg with a game against the Warriors which starts on Thursday.