EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa
Maketa talks about his spell with SA A and his plans for the season
The L.A Dosage had the opportunity to have a chat with former cricketer and current Warriors coach Malibongwe Maketa for the SA Cricket magazine. This is what he had to say when we gave him a call at the Highbury Safika offices in Cape Town:
The L.A Dosage: How did SA A fare and how important is the side to the Proteas?
Mali Maketa: We were a little disappointed with our performance in Australia, but it's also a good reflection of we are at. I believe, though, we can reach higher levels in the near future, and the better the players do, the more options the Proteas will have at their disposal.
The L.A Dosage: Who are the players to look out for in the future?
Mali Maketa: I'm excited to see how Andile Phehlukwayo will progress after his excellent SA A stint. There are other guys, like Keshav Maharaj, who haven't received an opportunity but have been playing really well. I'm excited about the likes of Sisanda Magala too. I also believe our own [Warriors] captain Simon Harmer will continue to excel after the work he's put in. He will definitely get back to the Proteas side and prove a lot of people wrong.
The L.A Dosage: What are your goals for the domestic season?
Mali Maketa: We need to work on our game plan and improve on last season. Although we didn't win any trophies, we made great progress. We need to establish how we're going to produce international players and how we're going to play as a team and be efficient. So we need to build on that, but we're not putting pressure on ourselves to win trophies; we know that if we focus on executing our skills every day, the rest will take care of itself.
The L.A Dosage: What sort of value will new Warriors acquisition Kyle Abbott bring?
Mali Maketa: Kyle is an international bowler, which is what we want to produce at the Warriors. He's a positive guy with a lot of skill and will definitely feed his experience through to our young bowlers and inspire them to reach higher honours.
The L.A Dosage: Do you think there is too much cricket being played around the world?
Mali Maketa: I am bit concerned about the amount of T20 cricket that is being played at the expense of Test cricket. We need our international player to play more Test cricket. So many of the young, aspiring guys see their heroes playing in these T20 competitions in order to make a quick buck, and they could be influenced to miss out on the longer formats.
The L.A Dosage: There have been a lot of players moving away from South Africa
Mali Maketa: I believe so. We can't assume that all the schools around the country are going to produce great players. I am a bit concerned about the number of guys who leave the country to play elsewhere. We need to work on a strategy that will motivate our players to stay in South Africa. We need to get these players inspired to play Test cricket for South Africa.
The L.A Dosage: What can be done to attract more spectators to the Sunfoil Series games?
Mali Maketa: Players need to get exposure and airtime in order to attract a local crowd. The players need to be made visible in their communities. The crowd needs to identify with the players, but that can't happen if the games aren't televised. The players need to shine in their own regions and get a bi of a following from becoming stars in their areas. It will attract a great deal of support.
Till next time. . .
Comments
Post a Comment