Aussie mind games have already begun
TOURING Australia has always been the litmus test for any Test cricketer. The home side are habitually at the top of the Test pile, or close enough, which immediately initiates a stern examination of ability and technique.
That’s the easy part though. Crowd “participation” is taken to an entirely different level Down Under.
Just ask Pat Symcox, the former South African off-spinner, who was once pelted with a shower of golf and tennis balls, bottles, and was even offered some dinner when a stuffed whole chicken came his way.
New Zealander Mark Richardson has some interesting tales, too, like the time he fielded with a helmet on all the way out on the third-man boundary during one raucous night at the SCG.
It is all a means to break down the individual mentally. And it’s a line of attack that is not only left to drunken bogans.
Prior to any major series, a current or former Aussie star is routinely hauled out by the local media to fire the first salvo at the opposition’s premier weapon with the hope that it may trigger some uncertainties within the tourists’ camp.
In a previous era, Glenn McGrath was the finest exhibitor of this trait, with the record-breaking paceman starting the mind games well in advance. However, it seems now that the goading baton has been passed on to veteran seamer Peter Siddle, with the 31-year-old claiming the Aussies could “target” South Africa’s young pace sensation Kagiso Rabada in the upcoming three-match series.
“Rabada is coming along well,” Siddle told cricket.com. au yesterday. “It’s a good find for them and he’s progressing well. So it’ll be interesting to see how he goes over here in a big series.
“There will be a fair bit of pressure on him, I think, coming out to Australia and all the hype around the series, and that type of thing. I reckon he’s the man we can sort of target.”
Siddle, who is on the comeback trail after a six-month layoff with a back injury, believes Rabada’s position is similar to when England fast bowler Steve Finn arrived on his first tour of Australia a few years ago.
“In the past, other countries have brought out players like that. You sort of think of Steve Finn a few Ashes series ago when they brought him out.
“He might have taken a few wickets, but he did leak a lot of runs.
“There was a lot of pressure on him. So that’s the sort of thing that we could look to do to Rabada.”
South Africa’s Cricketer of the Year has grown exponentially, though, since leaking 27 runs from his three overs in his T20 debut two years ago, with the 21-year-old virtually leading the Proteas’ attack during the last home summer when both Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander were ruled out with injury.
The experience gained came to fruition in the final Test against England at Centurion when he snared 13 wickets (7/112 and 6/32) to bowl South Africa to their only Test victory of the 2015/16 season.