Filling the boots of Jonty
Ashwell Prince spoke to Cricinfo about the progress that he has made and his, and the team's, hopes for the future
Nagraj Gollapudi
19-Dec-2005
Since the retirement of the inimitable Jonty Rhodes, South Africa have searched long and hard for a doughty middle-order batsman who could also be a livewire in the field. In Ashwell Prince, whose career appears to be taking off after a couple of early hitches, they might just have found one. Before heading to Perth and the most arduous challenge in cricket - a tour of Australia - he spoke to Cricinfo about the progress that he has made and his, and the team's, hopes for the future.
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Being picked in the squad for Australia must have been a huge confidence boost?
My game-plan still remains the same - play one ball at a time. I have only had a short Test career, but recently I made two hundreds. I haven't got any Test fifties yet. I have understood that to make a 40 or 50 might be good enough to keep you in the team for the next game but will not win the team any matches. And I have realised that you can't play for your country just to stay in the team for the next game.
My game-plan still remains the same - play one ball at a time. I have only had a short Test career, but recently I made two hundreds. I haven't got any Test fifties yet. I have understood that to make a 40 or 50 might be good enough to keep you in the team for the next game but will not win the team any matches. And I have realised that you can't play for your country just to stay in the team for the next game.
Going back to 2002, were you surprised when picked in the team for the first Test against Australia?
It was a little bit of surprise, but Justin Ontong got injured in the tour game and I had scored 92 against the full-strength Australia side. That had given me the confidence going into my first match, which was also Graeme Smith's debut game. Once again, our batsmen flopped and my 49 was the highest.
It was a little bit of surprise, but Justin Ontong got injured in the tour game and I had scored 92 against the full-strength Australia side. That had given me the confidence going into my first match, which was also Graeme Smith's debut game. Once again, our batsmen flopped and my 49 was the highest.
After that impressive debut series, you must have been fairly confident about the future?
After the Australian series, I felt comfortable and didn't feel out of place with couple of 40s and 20s. But the next season, I had very poor series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. At the start of that season, I put myself under pressure to stay in the team and everything I did was just to prevent myself from failing. I kept telling myself, `I don't want to fail', and that wasn't the right approach; I was not relaxed and I didn't enjoy my game at all.
After the Australian series, I felt comfortable and didn't feel out of place with couple of 40s and 20s. But the next season, I had very poor series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. At the start of that season, I put myself under pressure to stay in the team and everything I did was just to prevent myself from failing. I kept telling myself, `I don't want to fail', and that wasn't the right approach; I was not relaxed and I didn't enjoy my game at all.
So, what were the lessons learnt?
When I came back against England last season in the ODIs, I was older and able to look at things from a different perspective. Cricket is important to me, but it is not the be-all and end-all. It's my career and I get paid well to play, but after cricket life goes on. One day, I will retire; somebody else will take my place and probably do even better than I did. So I was sort of settled in my mind on my return.
When I came back against England last season in the ODIs, I was older and able to look at things from a different perspective. Cricket is important to me, but it is not the be-all and end-all. It's my career and I get paid well to play, but after cricket life goes on. One day, I will retire; somebody else will take my place and probably do even better than I did. So I was sort of settled in my mind on my return.
Lets go to the beginning: can you describe your background for us?
My eldest brother played a lot of cricket at school and my father a bit of league cricket. As a young boy of three or four, I used to play with my elder brothers, and watch them play league cricket in Port Elizabeth over the weekends. My interest in the game grew accordingly. Our family was never rich, and both my parents worked. My dad worked for Shell as a dispatcher while my mother worked as a book-keeper at a chemist, but most of my sporting needs were always fulfilled. My birthday falls in May, and I used to get soccer boots as it was the football season, while for Christmas there would be some cricketing gift. I never had remote-controlled toys and all that.
My eldest brother played a lot of cricket at school and my father a bit of league cricket. As a young boy of three or four, I used to play with my elder brothers, and watch them play league cricket in Port Elizabeth over the weekends. My interest in the game grew accordingly. Our family was never rich, and both my parents worked. My dad worked for Shell as a dispatcher while my mother worked as a book-keeper at a chemist, but most of my sporting needs were always fulfilled. My birthday falls in May, and I used to get soccer boots as it was the football season, while for Christmas there would be some cricketing gift. I never had remote-controlled toys and all that.
And we read that you were good at other sports, too...
Soccer came first. In front of our house, there was an open park and all the boys in the crescent where we stayed used to gather after school to play soccer. But I was also good at athletics. I was a striker at soccer, and a 100m runner, and I represented St Thomas High School in Port Elizabeth at both those sports, in addition to cricket.
Soccer came first. In front of our house, there was an open park and all the boys in the crescent where we stayed used to gather after school to play soccer. But I was also good at athletics. I was a striker at soccer, and a 100m runner, and I represented St Thomas High School in Port Elizabeth at both those sports, in addition to cricket.
Why choose cricket when you were equally good at soccer, rugby and athletics?
When I was in the final year at school, I was selected for the South Africa under-19 cricket team. At that time, I realised that if I work hard and stay disciplined then I can go on to play for the national team one day. That motivated me. Obviously, cricket is a professional sport and there is a good chance of making it a career, so I took it up seriously.
When I was in the final year at school, I was selected for the South Africa under-19 cricket team. At that time, I realised that if I work hard and stay disciplined then I can go on to play for the national team one day. That motivated me. Obviously, cricket is a professional sport and there is a good chance of making it a career, so I took it up seriously.
Who were the early influences during your childhood?
My eldest brother, Lloyd, was a good batsman and he played for his school as a junior and went on to represent Eastern Province at four sports - cricket, soccer, rugby and tennis. He always set the standard in the family when it came to sports achievements, and that encouraged me as well.
My eldest brother, Lloyd, was a good batsman and he played for his school as a junior and went on to represent Eastern Province at four sports - cricket, soccer, rugby and tennis. He always set the standard in the family when it came to sports achievements, and that encouraged me as well.
Any idol or mentor?
I used to like watching Eldine Baptiste, the Eastern Province overseas professional who used to play for my club. He became my mentor-cum-coach when I was growing up. His philosophy was: if you put in the hard work and don't take the short cuts, then it will pay off.
I used to like watching Eldine Baptiste, the Eastern Province overseas professional who used to play for my club. He became my mentor-cum-coach when I was growing up. His philosophy was: if you put in the hard work and don't take the short cuts, then it will pay off.
Moving on to the beginning of 2005, you struck the right notes with that knock against England in seventh ODI
That was one of my better knocks. We were under pressure and had lost our top order. When the team is under pressure and you are able to step up, that is what really gives a player the confidence.
That was one of my better knocks. We were under pressure and had lost our top order. When the team is under pressure and you are able to step up, that is what really gives a player the confidence.
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Would you agree that you are more of an accumulator?
Yes, in one-day cricket that is my role. We have big hitters like [Justin] Kemp, [Shaun] Pollock and [Mark] Boucher. My role is clearly defined as somebody who has got to rotate the strike, and convert the ones into twos and the twos into threes.
Yes, in one-day cricket that is my role. We have big hitters like [Justin] Kemp, [Shaun] Pollock and [Mark] Boucher. My role is clearly defined as somebody who has got to rotate the strike, and convert the ones into twos and the twos into threes.
Have you always been like that?
I generally like to play my strokes. I would say that I am a stroke-player, but my role at the moment in the team is to play a sort of anchor role. They are looking at me to play the part that Jonty Rhodes used to play.
I generally like to play my strokes. I would say that I am a stroke-player, but my role at the moment in the team is to play a sort of anchor role. They are looking at me to play the part that Jonty Rhodes used to play.
Like Rhodes, you are very fast at running between the wickets. Is that because you were an athlete when younger?
Yes, because I was an athlete at school, my running between the wickets is fast. Am I the fastest? I don't know ... maybe. Makhaya [Ntini] is quite fast too.
Yes, because I was an athlete at school, my running between the wickets is fast. Am I the fastest? I don't know ... maybe. Makhaya [Ntini] is quite fast too.
What do you tell yourself when you walk in to bat?
When I bat, I have a very simple approach: try to play one ball at a time and watch the ball as closely as possible. Recently Gary Kirsten, who played for the same team that I play for, Western Province, recommended that I speak with Paddy Upton, who is into executive coaching. He wanted me to talk with Upton about the way I approach an innings each time I walk in. Those talks helped me a lot. It was basically about what I think when I am batting, and how to redirect my thought patterns to help my game.
When I bat, I have a very simple approach: try to play one ball at a time and watch the ball as closely as possible. Recently Gary Kirsten, who played for the same team that I play for, Western Province, recommended that I speak with Paddy Upton, who is into executive coaching. He wanted me to talk with Upton about the way I approach an innings each time I walk in. Those talks helped me a lot. It was basically about what I think when I am batting, and how to redirect my thought patterns to help my game.
Have you changed in any fashion from the time you started playing the game?
What I have started to do a lot more of late is read about the game. I started reading about playing outside South Africa, how to deal with foreign conditions; I started reading about people who had been successful in other countries and how they went about doing their stuff in various conditions, what they do on tours and so on. Instead of getting only one perspective, the South African one, I wanted to get some outside views. I read books by Michael Atherton, Justin Langer and Viv Richards, and I am waiting for Sachin Tendulkar to write his autobiography. I think as youngsters, we take education about the game for granted. If you are a youngster, you think you know almost everything, but you don't know anything. The older you get, the more interested you become in different people's cultures and habits and so on.
What I have started to do a lot more of late is read about the game. I started reading about playing outside South Africa, how to deal with foreign conditions; I started reading about people who had been successful in other countries and how they went about doing their stuff in various conditions, what they do on tours and so on. Instead of getting only one perspective, the South African one, I wanted to get some outside views. I read books by Michael Atherton, Justin Langer and Viv Richards, and I am waiting for Sachin Tendulkar to write his autobiography. I think as youngsters, we take education about the game for granted. If you are a youngster, you think you know almost everything, but you don't know anything. The older you get, the more interested you become in different people's cultures and habits and so on.
Graeme Smith's career started around the same time as yours, and he has progressed admirably. Do you wish to emulate that?
I have never thought on those lines. The guy has got his opportunities, taken them and done very well. I have stumbled a bit but I am now back in the side, and am happy to be there. Mentally, he is a tough guy who doesn't back away and that is obviously something that persuaded the powers to make him captain.
I have never thought on those lines. The guy has got his opportunities, taken them and done very well. I have stumbled a bit but I am now back in the side, and am happy to be there. Mentally, he is a tough guy who doesn't back away and that is obviously something that persuaded the powers to make him captain.
You have had a problem converting starts into big scores
When I was younger, I used to get out in the 30s and 40s. In recent times, whenever I have got to 50, I have gone ahead to convert that into a big score. When I was younger, I was more of a dasher - I could play every stroke in the book, especially in one-day cricket. As the years have gone by, I have sort of worked out how I need to play in the one-day game. I have generally come in at No. 4, 5 or 6. Batting at these positions, the field is usually well spread, and you don't get a lot of opportunities to hit boundaries unless you bat into the last 10 overs. With time, there has been more clarity as my role is well-defined.
When I was younger, I used to get out in the 30s and 40s. In recent times, whenever I have got to 50, I have gone ahead to convert that into a big score. When I was younger, I was more of a dasher - I could play every stroke in the book, especially in one-day cricket. As the years have gone by, I have sort of worked out how I need to play in the one-day game. I have generally come in at No. 4, 5 or 6. Batting at these positions, the field is usually well spread, and you don't get a lot of opportunities to hit boundaries unless you bat into the last 10 overs. With time, there has been more clarity as my role is well-defined.
What do you aim to achieve in the future?
I am 28 and still young as a batsman. If you look at Australia, they only start selecting players in their late 20s. I can carry on at least till I am 35 if I stay focussed and disciplined. If I do the hard work, there's a lot to look forward to.
I am 28 and still young as a batsman. If you look at Australia, they only start selecting players in their late 20s. I can carry on at least till I am 35 if I stay focussed and disciplined. If I do the hard work, there's a lot to look forward to.