‘My passion is spin bowling’: Proteas’ Maharaj on love affair with his craft

15 August 2024 - 09:07 By Amir Chetty
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Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj bowling on day three of the first Test against the West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj bowling on day three of the first Test against the West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Image: DANIEL PRENTICE/GALLO IMAGES

Never wanting the captain to prise the red cherry from his grip keeps left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj motivated to succeed.

The wily 34-year-old put in a supreme effort of spin bowling on a docile pitch that offered little and was particularly tricky to bowl on throughout the drawn first Test against the West Indies.

Alongside Proteas quick Kagiso Rabada, the pair shouldered most of the bowling responsibility after the Proteas opted to leave out Dane Piedt and go with Maharaj as the sole specialist spinner in their four-man attack. 

Maharaj knew that given the makeup of the squad for the first Test, he would need to do a lot of bowling, but said it was a task he gladly took on.

The Dolphins man said his passion for spin bowling was so deeply ingrained that he could do it at the drop of a hat. 

“My passion is spin bowling. I love it. I can wake up at 2am and if you ask me to bowl, I will bowl. 

“It’s what keeps me motivated. The hunger and desire to want to do well and take this team in a different direction.

“I will bowl the whole day if I need to,” Maharaj said at a news conference.

“I never want the captain to take the ball away from me in Test cricket, so I am always trying to bowl my best ball. 

“Whatever format I play, I always keep my workloads as if I am preparing for Test cricket. The only things that change are your lines and lengths a bit. 

“From a longevity point of view, I bowl my long hours, whether it is T20 or 50-over cricket. It is something I have always prided myself [on]. 

“I don’t have many variations like the other types of spinners around the world, so I rely on consistency and being able to do it for long periods.”

Maharaj bowled a total of 66.2 overs, 40 of which came in a marathon first innings spell of bowling from the Media Centre end at Queen’s Park Oval.

Several rain delays saw 142 overs of play lost across seven sessions.

Asked how he deals with the sometimes lengthy intervals brought on by weather delays, Maharaj said it gave the players the chance to refocus their attention on what the match situation required.

“It is one of the biggest challenges we face in Test cricket when there are so many interruptions, but considering the heat out there, it is a nice way to come back, put your feet up and reassess, then get going again. 

“We know what is at stake, we have not played a lot of Test cricket for a long period due to the white ball stuff that has been around.

“But the guys were motivated, and when you are in front of the game, you are always motivated to get back on the field.”

HeraldLIVE


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