‘Relationship was strained’: Rickelton on World Cup call ahead of Van der Dussen

When Ryan Rickelton found out he’d been selected for the Proteas T20 World Cup squad, his excitement was quelled by the disappointment he felt for his provincial teammate and close friend Rassie van der Dussen’s omission. 

It made for an awkward few days, Rickelton admitted.

“Our relationship was strained. Neither of us messaged each other. It was a tough one,” he said. 

“We are very very close and I probably was in the wrong [for not calling].

“I was extremely gutted for him. We did actually chat about it, I did give my sympathies to him and he sent congratulations to me, but our relationship is still strong and solid as ever. I do feel for him, he is a phenomenal player and would walk into most squads around the world.” 

Van der Dussen is Rickelton’s senior by eight years and the pair have developed a brotherly bond that can be seen by the hours they spend chatting, the chirps about clothes and golf on social media and on the field in the way they formed the most devastating partnership in this year’s SA20.

Six of their 10 opening partnerships for MI Cape Town were worth 50 runs or more, two of which were more than 100, with one — a 200-run stand at the Wanderers against Jozi Super Kings — the highest partnership for any wicket in this year’s competition.

“When I looked at the balance of the [Proteas] squad, it was either him or me,” said Rickelton.

Rickelton has known his fair share of disappointment recently, going from being the batter Shukri Conrad claimed he could build the Test batting unit around to not even getting picked for the squad for the home series against India last summer. 

Rather than view his call-up for the World Cup as a “middle finger” to those who doubt he can play internationally, Rickelton is looking forward to embracing the challenge of playing at the highest level.

“I don’t worry about what other people think any more. I’ve put in some numbers, I’ve had a few opportunities, but I’m still looking to get a hold on international cricket. If I can find my feet early enough in international cricket, that will unburden me and give me a great opportunity to just go [for it].”

While his prodigious run-scoring across formats has placed him at the forefront of Proteas selection, to date he’s played just four Tests and two ODIs.

“I’m really trying not to think about runs necessarily, just how I can make a positive impact for the team in T20 cricket. There’s no middle finger to anyone, maybe just pulling the finger out of my backside to make me go.”

Until recently the T20 format was not one he thought he’d have an impact on, Rickelton acknowledged. He had problems against spinners, his scoring areas were limited and his mental approach cluttered.

“If you had said five months ago that I would be competing for this squad, the answer would definitely have been ‘no’.

“I’ve struggled in the last two or three years with T20 cricket. I tried to put a bit of emphasis on it for the SA20, which is obviously an important tournament and I wanted to make sure to right the wrongs from the first season for MI Cape Town,” he said.

Robin Peterson, who coached the Cape Town side this year, provided Rickelton with the freedom to be more attacking, emphasising the importance of making an impact, rather than purely scoring runs.

“That gave me the clarity, which freed me up mentally, and along with the game plan and formulating shots that I have worked on, once I got going just kept it up.”

He was the only batter to score more than 500 runs in the SA20, continuing that good form in the less competitive T20 Challenge where he made 441 runs. 

“With the Lions the challenge was different, Russell [Domingo] wanted me to take a bit more responsibility. The conditions were different, there were more games, but it was nice lessons for me to do that, while still wanting to take on that more impactful role for the team.”

Van der Dussen is part of the Proteas squad that travels to Jamaica on Saturday for three T20 Internationals against the West Indies, but Rickelton is keen to sponge as much information from him as possible, before the two go their separate ways at the end of the month.

“He’s a massive part of my career, the stuff I’ve learnt from him, what we’ve talked about ... he’s a huge asset for the way I play, he knows my game really well and the stuff he says in times of pressure carries me through a lot of times.”