Zaahier Adams
Marco Jansen may have walked away with the biggest prize in South African Men’s cricket last week, but the all-rounder feels that he remains far from “the finished article”.
Ironically, the 24-year-old is on a strength and rehabilitation programme while also working on a few technical aspects of his game – both with bat and ball – which saw him miss the recent tour to the West Indies.
The SA Men's Player of the Year award goes to Marco Jansen!✨🏆
His impactful performances and dedication to the game have earned him this prestigious accolade, highlighting his status as a leading figure in South African cricket.🇿🇦🏏🌍#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt #CSAAwards2024 pic.twitter.com/3d7lO180Vj
“I’m not the finished article; if that were the case, I would be averaging 50 with the bat and taken 300 wickets. I can get a lot better technically with my batting and as far as my bowling I can contribute more consistently in getting wickets,” Jansen said.
“In T20 games, especially, I don’t get as many wickets as other guys. And that means they are pulling a load that I’m not pulling. So, definitely room for improvement.
“To get there, it’s not just about rocking up at training and bowling 20 balls. It’s about specialised training. It’s about knowing what I want to improve. So, bowling 10 yorkers and 10 hard length deliveries to keep my stock ball.”
While Jansen’s personal assessment is fair, there is little doubt that he has become an integral member of the Proteas’ teams across all three formats.
He was influential at last year’s ODI World Cup in India where he finished second on the Proteas’ wicket-taking list with 17 scalps, while his contribution with the bat, particularly in the crunch game against England where he shared a match-winning 161-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Heinrich Klaasen, was immense.
Jansen has delivered similar match-winning performances in Test cricket, notably in the Boxing Day Test victory over India at Centurion last year when he struck an unbeaten 84 and picked up four wickets in the match. It is also noteworthy that Jansen’s Test career is running almost directly parallel to legendary Proteas all-rounder Shaun Pollock at the same stage of their careers.
Jansen has played 13 Tests, claimed 49 wickets at an average of 22.79, including four four-wicket hauls and one fiver. He has also struck 401 runs at 23.58, with two half-centuries and top score of 84 not out.
Jansen edges Pollock in the bowling numbers, with the ginger-haired fast bowler having taken 40 wickets at 23.77 at that stage, although “Polly” is marginally better with the bat with 500 runs at the average of 32.33. Pollock ultimately finished with 421 wickets at 23.11 and 3781 runs at 32.31 in 108 Tests.
It is unlikely that Jansen will go on to achieve such numbers purely due to the Proteas’ minimal modern-day Test schedule along with his commitments to the various T20 Leagues around the world.
However, Jansen feels that he will consistently strive to improve all facets of his game due to the motivation and work ethic of his teammates in the Proteas’ set-up.
“There are a lot of match-winners in this side, Klaasy, KG, Kesh, it’s more a case of gratitude (winning the SA Cricketer of the Year award) rather than a boost in confidence [for me],” he said.
“We try to push each other in training, see where the other guy’s breaking point is, where we can push them harder and where we can improve one another.”