'You have to think quicker, but the basics are the same'
The pace may be frantic in Twenty20, but there's no need to lose your head, Johan van der Wath tells Nagraj Gollapudi
Nagraj Gollapudi
21-Sep-2007
A natural at Twenty20 with his ability to bowl at a lively pace and belt the ball about down the order, Johan van der Wath came to international notice when he hit an unbeaten 37 off 16 balls in a VB Series game against Australia in early 2006. Since then he has been an occasional presence in a South Africa side that has had an illustrious history of allrounders. He spoke to Cricinfo about what it takes to do the job with both ball and bat in Twenty20.
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You seem to have adapted well to Twenty20. What's your secret?
Johan van der Wath I learned fast that you've got to stay a lot calmer in this game. You have to think quicker, but the basics and skills are all the same. You've got less time to pull it off and your margin of error is small.
Johan van der Wath I learned fast that you've got to stay a lot calmer in this game. You have to think quicker, but the basics and skills are all the same. You've got less time to pull it off and your margin of error is small.
As a lower-order batsman how difficult is the challenge of coming in and playing strokes straightaway?
JW That's a situation I've been in a few times. The pressure is definitely more, but you've always got more time than you think. As for what position is more beneficial to bat at, that depends on the wickets you are playing on, but I'll say that generally the best place to bat is up the order.
JW That's a situation I've been in a few times. The pressure is definitely more, but you've always got more time than you think. As for what position is more beneficial to bat at, that depends on the wickets you are playing on, but I'll say that generally the best place to bat is up the order.
Is there anything like settling in when you bat?
JW For sure. Like I said earlier, there is more time than you think. The game is quick, no doubt, but you can take a few deliveries to get in. And it's not all about fours and sixes; taking singles and twos is as important. Rotating the strike by taking singles and twos can add up and those 30 or 40 runs can make a difference in the end result. Also you can't allow the bowler to keep bowling at one batsman, so rotation is very important.
JW For sure. Like I said earlier, there is more time than you think. The game is quick, no doubt, but you can take a few deliveries to get in. And it's not all about fours and sixes; taking singles and twos is as important. Rotating the strike by taking singles and twos can add up and those 30 or 40 runs can make a difference in the end result. Also you can't allow the bowler to keep bowling at one batsman, so rotation is very important.
Do you plan to target a specific bowler?
JW Not really. It depends on who you are playing, but most times you just hit if you are comfortable. You go according to the situation. Generally I find it more comfortable taking on the fast bowlers than the spinners.
JW Not really. It depends on who you are playing, but most times you just hit if you are comfortable. You go according to the situation. Generally I find it more comfortable taking on the fast bowlers than the spinners.
What about setting short-term targets - say par Powerplay scores?
JW You don't set specific targets, but you do generally have a certain figure in mind depending on the state of the wicket. Normally a par score after the Powerplay is between 60 and 75. Scores are higher in Johannesburg, while in Durban and Cape Town the totals are lower. The conditions overall are in favour of batting in South Africa ... look, it's a batsman's game.
JW You don't set specific targets, but you do generally have a certain figure in mind depending on the state of the wicket. Normally a par score after the Powerplay is between 60 and 75. Scores are higher in Johannesburg, while in Durban and Cape Town the totals are lower. The conditions overall are in favour of batting in South Africa ... look, it's a batsman's game.
Is there a room for you to express yourself as a bowler?
JW What is important is to try and swing the ball and take wickets upfront. At the end you might bowl a few yorkers and get a few wickets there too, so as a bowler it is really not that bad. You get a dot ball, it's like a wicket.
JW What is important is to try and swing the ball and take wickets upfront. At the end you might bowl a few yorkers and get a few wickets there too, so as a bowler it is really not that bad. You get a dot ball, it's like a wicket.
Is it an advantage to bowl with the new ball in Twenty20?
JW Depends on the situation. If the ball is swinging then taking the new ball is the best option; otherwise it's better to bowl in the middle overs.
JW Depends on the situation. If the ball is swinging then taking the new ball is the best option; otherwise it's better to bowl in the middle overs.
How do you respond to an onslaught by the batsmen?
JWYou just have to do what you do best. Whatever happens from there on is out of your hands. Sometimes you can go for seven or eight an over and sometimes ten an over, depending on the conditions. What I've found is there is not a lot of time in this competition to attack. The best approach is to take wickets during the Powerplay.
JWYou just have to do what you do best. Whatever happens from there on is out of your hands. Sometimes you can go for seven or eight an over and sometimes ten an over, depending on the conditions. What I've found is there is not a lot of time in this competition to attack. The best approach is to take wickets during the Powerplay.
Nagraj Gollapudi is assistant editor of Cricinfo Magazine