'As long as I play winning innings I am happy'

So what did you do get up to during your break?
Basically I didn't watch any cricket, didn't have anything to do with cricket; just spent time at home and played some golf, and I am now ready for the new season. The training schedule has started, and has been quite rigorous both fitness-wise and strength-wise.

Is it true you are an avid golfer, and did you follow the British Open?
Yes, I love it. It's a good way to relax and it's a nice hobby to have. I watched the Open on TV - it's great entertainment. I will always back my fellow countryman, Retief Goosen. South Africa is a sports-mad country, and its sportsmen tend to stick together in moments like these.

As you start to focus on your cricket again, how have you finally found the right formula for success on the field?
It's a matter of experience: knowing what to do when, and just putting into practice what you have learnt over the years.

Your father, who died last year, was the most important person in your life. How are you adjusting to life without him?
Yes, obviously, he played a huge role in my life. But you learn that things carry on, and you realise that cricket isn't the most important thing in life. So you have to enjoy the game and just do your best on every occasion.

Before the West Indies series, you were in a slump. What areas did you work on?
I wouldn't say that my cricket was in a slump, I doubt that. I was doing well, but I wanted to do better and it was just a matter of getting everything in order in terms of both my cricket and my life.

And now you've passed 5000 Test runs - and you hit new heights during the West Indian tour of South Africa, in which you scored four consecutive Test centuries ...
I was striking the ball pretty well. It was just getting together the combination at the right time, though you can never write off the West Indies bowling. It was probably not the strongest attack I have ever faced, but they have a few youngsters who are learning how to do the job. They proved that when they knocked out England to reach the NatWest Series final recently.

Were you concerned that you missed out on Bradman's six-in-a-row Test-centuries record?
No, I was not bothered about the record. I was just taking it one ball at a time, though I knew about it.

Talking figures, your average in Australasia is an impressive 51.68, while in England and the subcontinent it is 37. Which kind of pitches are you more at home on?
I think all the South African players tend to play better when they are at home, when there is more pace and bounce in the wickets. But I don't know, I enjoy playing on all types of wickets. It's a good test of skill.

With two tours to the subcontinent this season, what kind of preparations have you made?
We just started light training about a week back, and then the training camp starts shortly, when we will try and simulate the kind of wickets we will be playing on. Obviously the wickets will be slower and they will turn a little bit, so we have to train on those kind of pitches. Personally, there is nothing particular I am going to focus on, apart from getting back into form and finding a good rhythm.

Would you say you're a slow starter, and are you prone to get trapped by the bowler early on?
No, I don't agree with that. If the ball is there to be hit, I'll take the offer. All batters are careful at the beginning - it is the most vulnerable part of the innings, so you need to be a bit more watchful.

You kick off the season with the tour of Sri Lanka. How do you plan to take on someone like Murali, who has got you out five times so far in your career?
We have played a lot against him on the subcontinent and at home, so we've got a game-plan to counter him which we will put into practice, and which will hopefully put him under pressure. There is nothing different about facing him to other bowlers - you concentrate and focus the same no matter who the bowler is. Obviously he bowls a lot more than the others, and that's why he gets a lot more wickets.

Is it fair to say your bowling has dipped a bit recently?
I will say the type of wickets we have played on haven't been conducive to swing bowling. Once again, it's a matter of being able to adapt to the conditions. Where we are going now - on the subcontinent - the ball doesn't tend to swing much, so I will need to adjust to those conditions.

Did you ever think about taking the captaincy?
No, I didn't. I have always believed that it's difficult for allrounders to be good captains.

During your early years, Hansie Cronje was forming a winning unit. How big an influence was he?
He was a great influence, considering he was the captain when I started off. As for what I learnt from him, you are always learning no matter who you are in contact with. You learn from the opposition, and from your fellow players. It is just a matter of being open, being watchful, and making sure that every game you are playing you learn something new.

You struggled in the early stages of your career, and had only 57 runs at an average of just over 8 after five Tests. How did you deal with that situation?
I just kept believing in myself, and in my own abilities, and that 61 against Pakistan at Rawalpindi [in 1997-98] virtually kick-started my career. It was just about me needing one good innings in international cricket to start believing in myself.

At 28, you are already South Africa's highest runscorer in one-day cricket, and you're slowly approaching Gary Kirsten's total of 7289 runs in Tests. Do you have any further targets?
To be honest, I am not a big target-setter. As long as I continue playing winning innings and score hundreds I am happy with that. The records will take care of themselves.