Sunday Times
TELFORD VICE, Cape Town
1. Get Quinton de Kock on the plane
Can anyone remember those dark days when South Africans did not have the pleasure of seeing De Kock smashing pumpkins out of international attacks? Of course not. Seldom has one player earned such an exalted place in SA cricket so quickly as De Kock undoubtedly has. Thing is, Quinnie the Kid is, as we speak, staring at his leg in a moon boot and wondering whether the ankle ligaments he tore during the first test against West Indies will heal in time for him to make the World Cup. Domingo wonders the same thing. So do all of us.
2. Failing that, get Morne van Wyk to keep his sleeping pills in the hotel safe
Van Wyk deserves to be remembered for something more than confusing his vitamins with his sleeping pills before SA’s 2011 World Cup match against India and watching dreamily as three catches and a stumping plopped out of his gloves. He is one of the most devastating limited overs opening batsmen of his generation and not the worst gloveman around. He also has the kind of personality that could calm a dressingroom that is prone to the jitters just when they need them least. So, should Domingo not be able to get De Kock on the plane, Van Wyk would be the sensible straight swap.
3. Maybe AB ...
... Should bat higher in the order sometimes ... Should keep wicket in the odd game, just to scare people with what he can do ... Domingo took over as SA’s coach in the afterglow of Gary Kirsten’s twin triumph of winning the World Cup with India and guiding SA to the No. 1 test ranking. Tough act to follow? Ya think? Naysayers there were many, and for a while there Domingo disappeared into a defensive shell - a natural reaction for someone whose every decision is second-guessed. Please come out now, coach: you have shut them all up.
4. Careful with the quicks
Classy fast bowlers are the fuel SA run on. As they proved to themselves, you can score 434/4 in a one-day game and still lose if your attack includes certified pie-chuckers like Mick Lewis. Happily, quality quicks has Domingo many. But the World Cup is a pressure test of all of a team’s mental and physical resources, and it will be vital for SA to be able to fire on all cylinders all the time. Keeping the fast men full of energy and niggle-free should be at the top of Domingo’s priority list.
5. Don’t worry, be happy
Sing. Tell jokes. Make fun of Wayne Parnell’s hair, Morne Morkel’s feet, Dale Steyn’s tattoos. Imagine what the dressingroom would be like if Helen Zille was the coach and Julius Malema was the captain. As previous SA teams know painfully well, World Cups can become soulless dredges through airports, hotels and stadiums. Don’t let the fun die. Win with a smile. You know you want to.
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