Argentinian in South African Academy (28 December 1998)

DURBAN - Anyone casually glancing at the list of this year's national academy intake may feel there has been a misprint or that the selection panel got it wrong, after all Manias Paterson, of the Argentine, could be mistaken as a soccer player not

28-Dec-1998

28 December 1998

Argentinian in South African Academy

Trevor Chesterfield

But in a country more known for its football and rugby prowess, the thought of a talented 22-year-old all-rounder emerging from the Pampas is likely to be met more with a touch of incredulity than a cursory raised eye brow.

Paterlini is the overseas "development" connection for the 1999 Plascon Academy now being run by former Test opening batsman Jimmy Cook, appointed recently as the director of national coaching.

And along with the top-order batsman and first-change bowler from Buenos Aries who learnt to develop his interest in the game from former Warwickshire opening batsman and now Free State coach Andy Moles.

Among other members of the intake are three wicketkeepers, with the SA under/19 captain Thamie Tsolokile, heading the list which also contains Ray Jennings' son Dylan, as well as Arno Jacobs, former Gauteng all-rounder Stefan's younger boet and the only North West member of the 20-strong squad.

There are seven "players of colour", the politicians favourite current buzz phrase, in the squad although Justin Ontong, from Boland, a promising 18-year-old and also in the SA under/19 side to tour Pakistan, is another who would disown the phrase as demeaning. Another is Goolam Bodi who was in last year's intake but requires further coaching, according to Imtiaz Patel, the UCB's director of professional players' affairs.

Northerns all-rounder Quentin Still has also been included in the list long with Tyrone Henderson who joined Border from Natal before the start of the season and has made an impact as an all-rounder.

The squad is: Justin Ontong (Boland), Tyrone Henderson (Border), Geoff Love (Border), Dumisa Makalima (Border), Andre Nel (Easterns), Murray Creed (EP), James Bryant (EP), Dewald Pretorius (Free State), Goolam Bodi (Gauteng), Dylan Jennings (Gauteng), Aldo van den Berg (Gauteng), Shaun Adam (KZN), Wade Wingfield (KZN), Ahmed Amla (KZN), Quentin Still (Northerns), Arno Jacobs (NW), Mulligan George (WP), Thamie Tsolokile (WP), Albert Nkomo (WP), Matias Patterlini (Argentine).

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield, Pretoria News