Buoyed by a brilliant all-round display in the second One-Day International against New Zealand, South Africa fast-bowler Dwaine Pretorius has expressed his desire of becoming an all-rounder.
Playing only his sixth ODI and batting only for the second time, Pretorius nearly snatched an astonishing comeback victory for his team, blasting 50 off just 27 balls and putting on 61 for the ninth wicket with Andile Phehlukwayo. The Proteas eventually fell short by six runs but Pretorius managed to give a huge scare to the Black Caps. Before that, he also stood out as the most effective bowler for his team by taking 2-40 from his 10 overs.
Speaking to the reporters in Christchurch on Wednesday, he said:
“This is my second opportunity to bat, it’s great to contribute to the team and at the end of the day we all play for the team.”
“For me to do well for the country is awesome. I’ve worked my whole life to get to this stage and it’s just awesome to contribute. Obviously I’ve been having a lot of confidence in myself. I’m just going to keep working hard and we’ll see what happens in the future,” he added.
Pretorius further said he wants to be considered as a genuine all-rounder.
“I would love to be seen as a 50/50 all-rounder, I’d like to contribute in both aspects of the game,” said Pretorius.
“I do pride myself in my batting a lot, I put a lot of work in both facets of the game. The most important thing to me is adding value to the team,” added the player who averages 42 in first class cricket.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old said his team would bounce back from the disappointment of seeing an end to their 12-match unbeaten streak in the ODIs
“Since I’ve been involved (with the Proteas), it feels like the team doesn’t rely heavily on one or two players – everyone needs to contribute. I think that’s been the key in the last 12 games is that if the team contributes we do really well. If a big player has an off day, someone else steps up,” he said.
The third ODI of the five-match series will be played in Wellington on Saturday, February 25.