Justin Kemp

South African all-rounder Justin Kemp speaks about his team's chances in the upcoming tour to India

Monday, March 24, 2008

Wishing his teammates luck….

Justin Kemp, a handy medium-pacer and middle order batsman from the Eastern Province of South Africa now represents the Hyderabad Heroes team of ICL. Known to be a big hitter of the cricket ball, Kemp served South African Cricket for close to 6 years, playing 4 Tests and as many as 85 ODIs. Kemp speaks about South Africa's chances in the upcoming tour to India, about Gary Kirsten, the new Indian coach and the young South African players.

The South African team will be arriving to India for a 3-match Test series. So are you looking forward to the big series?
Yeah, I think it's going to be fantastic, it’s going to be one of the toughest series South Africa have played. India are playing good cricket at the moment, they have some fantastic young bowlers we've heard a lot about and seen a lot of in Australia and they did terrifically well there. So it’s going to be a tough series and I think South Africa have got a very good Test side up as well. It will be good.

You've played one-day cricket for most part of your career and South Africa have just wrapped up the series against Bangladesh. So do you think getting into the Test mould would be a bit difficult?
Not really, I think the guys have played a lot of Test cricket, so it is going to be quite easy to come and adjust, it will just be the case of adjusting to the conditions and as I said, it’s going to be a tough series with India playing really well at the moment.

Is dropping Andre Nel and Herschelle Gibbs a right move?
I don't know if it is a right move. I'm not involved in the selection but I think Andre Nel being left out is a pretty tough one because he's done exceptionally well. And as far as Herschelle is concerned, he'll be the first one to say he hasn't scored as many runs as he would have liked to. But yeah, he has played well, bowled well and I think it’s quite a tough call to leave him out but I'm sure that the selectors have their reasons and the two young bowlers in (Morne) Morkel and (Dale) Steyn are doing exceptionally well. They have got a big future ahead of them and if they stay fit, they're going to be a real force to reckon with.

So do you think Morkel and Steyn are ready to handle the pressure?
Well, I think they have to learn and there is no better learning place than India. It’s going to be really tough for them playing against some of the best batsmen in the world, in their conditions, so they're going to learn very quickly.

You've played a lot in India, so what is your advice to them?
I think you have to adjust to the conditions quickly, you have to learn to find your lengths as a bowler and try and score if you're a batter. It is different to bat in South Africa or probably in Australia and other places but wickets can be really good here as well, so it’s going to be a really interesting series.

Spin will be a big factor in India so are Robin Peterson and Paul Harris up for the challenge?
I don't think both will play but Paul Harris will play and it will be a big test for him because he's bowled well in the Test team so far; he has taken wickets and he has kept the scoring rate down. He did exceptionally well in Pakistan too. But I think this will be one of the ultimate tests for him, the other probably being Australia…So yeah, I think Paul Harris is definitely upto it and it will be good to see how these guys progress.

What according to you is the biggest strength of this South African team?
Well, I think they have always been known as fighters but we've got some serious cricketers now as well with Morkel, Steyn, (Jacques) Kallis is obviously the genius in the middle order, (Graeme) Smith is also finding some form now, which is good for them. (Neil) McKenzie too is a good cricketer and he has to do well. I just hope he does well at the top of the order because he is not a natural opening batsman. But overall yeah, it is a good balanced team and I think the strength of the South African team has always been in it's bowling department and it is coming back now, with the pace attack we have. And also don't forget Makhaya Ntini, he has done really well over the years.

(Jacques) Kallis is bowling at his best, bowling above 140kph. So do you think his role as a bowler too would be equally important, as his role as a batsman is unquestioned.
Ya, his record speaks for itself, he is a fantastic bowler and he is bowling better now, bowling the best he's bowled. But obviously you'll be more happy if he doesn't have to do too much of bowling because other boys have to take all the wickets but you know, he took five wickets against the Bangladeshis when South Africa were in a little spot of bother, so it just shows you what he can do as a bowler. He's just a fantastic cricketer to have in your team.

Some say that South Africa need not worry about their batting because they've just struck a brilliant record shattering opening stand but don't you think that was the Bangladeshi attack and now they are up against the much improved Indian bowling attack?
Yeah of course, at the end of the day you still have to score the runs. They can break all records- the 400 plus runs record they made was fantastic, you don't care how the bowling attack is; you just go out there and do it. So it just shows what they are capable of and yeah, as I said it is going to be a tough series for them coming to India as India has got some serious bowlers and I'm sure they are up for it and it’s just going to be a case of how they will back their skills in India.

One of the most experienced players in the South Africa side is Mark Boucher. His role will be very important.
Yes it’s been important for a number of years now so it’s a given fact. He's been such a fantastic cricketer too and the South African team is full of these guys who can win games for you, so it will be interesting to see how it goes but he is a class act.

Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh are two of the best spinners in the world and in the conditions suitable to them, do you think South African batsmen have it in them to face them?
They definitely have it in them; they have come here before and won in India. It’s just the case of what happens on the given day. They do have the 2 best spinners in the world at the moment so ya, it’s going to be a tough challenge and it will be interesting to see what the wickets are like in India, I'm sure they'll try and make it turn a bit so, it’s going to be a great series.

Any particular areas that South Africa need to work on?
You always can work on areas as a team; I just think Paul Harris' emerging has helped in the spin department where there have always been question marks. Also I hope that Neil (McKenzie) gets a good go because he is a great cricketer and he deserves his chance. I'd prefer to see him coming in at 4 or 5 but he's been given an opportunity and he's got to take it which I'm sure he will and will succeed up there.

Are you impressed with Anil Kumble's leadership?
Yes, he's done a fantastic job in Australia, that's the toughest place to tour and they very nearly salvaged to draw the series and in the last two Tests they almost dominated. He looks like he is the kind of guy who leads from the front of all; probably the best captains are the ones who have led from the front.

Will the appointment of Gary Kirsten as the coach be a huge benefit?
(It will be a) Massive benefit. I have had a lot to do with Gary over the years and he is a fantastic human being first and foremost. His cricket knowledge is incredible; he has played over a hundred Test matches and a lot of One-day internationals for South Africa. He's just going to bring so much to the Indian side and with what they already have; they have the opportunity to become the top team in the world.

What is his single plus point?
I think his man-management skills are fantastic, he's a people's person, the kind of guy who will help you out when you are not playing well because he knows what it is about as he's been there before. That’s definitely one of the pluses.

He has suggested Paddy Upton's name as the mental conditioning coach, so how important is mental conditioning coaching in today's times?
It’s huge. Paddy has done a fantastic job in Cape Town with Cape Cobras and he's helped us quite a lot there. So all in all, Indian cricket at the moment has got all the tools to really become a fantastic cricket team.

The Indian batting line-up is quite established so do you think it will be a daunting task to dislodge it?
Yeah, they have got some serious players at the moment, Tendulkar is playing good cricket, V.V.S. Laxman is fantastic, then there's Rahul Dravid... So as you said, batting is the strength of Indian cricket. It’s going to be a good series with South Africa having got a good, young bowling line-up and it will be interesting to see how they go. It obviously is a big test for them.

What would your prediction for the series be?
It’s a tough prediction, I won't be surprised if it is a drawn series but ya, it is going to be tough for South Africa to win in these conditions against the players who are in a good mindset at the moment after beating Australia. But on the other hand, South Africa is said to be a good young team and anything is possible.