Join Lucky Letshabo and Dino Biani focusing on school sport, club sport and the development of sport. Jovial, banter and uplifting – keeping it light while being informative. Development of the sport in communities and behind the scenes of how this takes place.
[Music] hey guys it’s your boy lucky lsab here another week another funfilled sporting weekend and a lot to talk about obviously rugby sitting right here at the moment the cricket as well for those of you that woke up very early this morning would have seen that we’ve into the semi-final breath here so it’s coach on a couch another week one thing that we do have to talk about guys I know the English is not englishing so well we’re getting a couple of couches on coaches we’re getting some coaches in a couch it’s coach on a couch please remember that dster another week what do you say lucky ler I mean they make it easy for us don’t they listen uh if you don’t have Medical Aid and your blood pressure is a bit High perhaps this wasn’t the weekend for you but other than that jeez we’re on the board we’re on the board I’m just glad my one Uncle never managed to watch the criet this morning I don’t think he could afford another hearty jeez how was that e totally I wouldn’t say totally unexpected just okay we didn’t know this protest were this serious I mean the other World Cups we went in there thinking they were serious but they weren’t but then this world cup they’ve just they’ve been they’ve been on the ball well I’m sure Chasing the Sun are going to have a field day yeah yeah we do have a version a cricket version of that uh if if all goes well so two more games to go I mean we haven’t been here in what a decade 10 years since we’ve been in a semi so this is great uh the boys are performing uh we had a chat earlier it’s not the biggest All-Star team we’ve ever had yet looks are grinding I actually have faith in the boys yeah no no no listen that my Pro tier shirt was out on Friday so it was a bit of a an awkward situation it was B Friday but I had my Pro tier shirt on you know trying to keep it U um trying to keep it fresh so long may that run continue and CH it’s going to be a difficult diff ult week to to get through but so far so good I’m sure a guest as well this evening will have something to say about that then plenty of ruggers H oh lofters oh the the rugby is endless let’s where do you want to start hey man just start closest to let’s start let’s start at lter sister batina just didn’t get us through they needed to play sister batina two more times just just to get the boys Going H I mean what a nail B I think if there was 2 minutes left in the game the Bulls could have turned it around and really that scrum option there right at the end uh it was a failed Mall which was on the final whistle for the heartbreaker come on refy let the kids play man come on with all of that being said Glascow what a team yeah they’ve done well in a way semifinal a way final at Loftus I meanly it’s it’s a South African coach so and big credit has to go to him yeah franku Smith I mean I’m sure rugby has a big eye on the lad he has coached Free State University to win the varsity cup yes he’s coached free state to win the curry cup and now we know what his favorite color is yeah and then glasow to win the URC so he’s doing the rusty Rus H wow that little root there but yeah absolutely wonderful stuff there by glasgo it was a Wonder F final as well great support from the from the South Africans I didn’t make it all the way to lus I was at a local watering Hall to watch that game there well uh I’m sure every single person that was in that Stadium after the bker game was a little bit yeah a little bit wavy not not walking in a straight line shall we say but um yeah they did well the spring B let’s get on to International Rugby okay was the England Japan game so you know DStv must give me my subscription money back for that cuz 5217 but boring boring it happened it happed thanks yeah got the result uh bker vers Wales hey couple of players on debut guys we never thought we’d ever see a day that V relinquishes that number 15 Jersey whether intentional or not but up is it two to have a new favorite player you you know in wrestling when they had that money in the bank challenge yeah that’s me right now the suitcase is there give it to that guy give it to him I don’t know if it maybe it’s a combination of the fact that I would love pretty much anybody in that 15 Jersey but welcome was he on the high I don’t think he missed a single one over the high ball I mean obviously sustained that that yellow that yellow card which is which was unfortunate but what uh what what a game he had can we talk about uh Mr biceps even bigger biceps oh edell Ed edell fva huh how was that work rate wow he’s work great on the field was was was was just dominant he’s everywhere um on the field there it was just was a solid performance and then obviously we’ve got to mention the comeback my boy’s back number two huh it’s like watching my son play for the booker that’s how proud I am to see malcol back he who would have thought I mean what a year ago already he had broken himself and now back in the mix and uh listen can you come back and play for the booker yes I can oh yeah you’re starting as well yeah by the way just go straight in there no it’s good to see him back and I mean I’m sure for him as well you know after you sustained an injury for so long after you’ve been through rehabilitation and getting yourself match fit again just that feeling that relief to get back onto the park there must have been something special for him it’s just lovely to to see how sa rugby is Flowing at the moment it didn’t feel like a new team yet we had so many new players theyed yeah I mean the eight man R yeah he’s he’s settling into that Jersey very very nicely for me I mean and passion you can just oozing passion h no he’s in the mixer um Wales it’s tough out there you know as an international player when you stand there and you line up your opposition and you see a small colored guy on the wing with a scrum cap and you think a this sck I got him no pal not going to happen no bad he’s going to tackle you and your friend not going to happen not going to happen and then um from a school boy level just one fixure to speak of really it was pink day at on hton Ridge at St John’s College you went through for that game yeah I I was there it’s a wonderful initiative started by nson John’s boy to raise awareness for for cancer something that uh is U very easily um not spoken about in boy schools because we think it just affects women um so it’s good to see that boy schools launching that initiative and see the partners there as well and not too shabby first team game also an absolute nail B with St John’s winning it right at the death after the buzzer had sounded so a good day out all all um I had all sorts of pink things on I had flowers I had caps on I had a hoodie from somewhere so I definitely uh was uh fully involved in in the pink day initiative nice there was there’s another one that I want to talk about really cheeky but also once again flying the sa flag yeah s7s winning their qualifying tournament and in Olympics uhhuh thank you boys yes another tick boox exercise and another fatsu to the rest of the world yes all right I had a a lacer weekend of sports outside of the Rugby field as well um for me just a highlight was uh some golf okay I’m not not my golf no no no okay just golf I was about to say let’s just cut the show right there and then yeah so quite an amazing performance by Tyrell hat Hatton winning in the live um that’s his first win in 3 years so man still has it and then the US PGA Scotty shefer back on top I mean how many is that five or six in a row now that’s six for the year for the year um only guy to have done that before him was Tiger Woods by July of a year so it’s not even six months yet yeah when what end of May June we give we’ll give him the last little bit yeah we’ll give him the last little bit so um you know he’s having an amazing amazing season he’s also been selected for the USA olympic team which is very interesting cuz let me just uh call out the USA olympic team for you we have Scotty yes Xander chuffle yeah we have Colin marawa and wendham Clark we do not have brass and the Shambo but hey let the kids play man let just keep it moving let the kids play and on that note our sa golf team has also been chosen which is Eric f royan a personal favorite and Christian Baza note so good luck to those boys yeah good luck um to them I think um you know if if and when time allow allows we really need to do a proper Deep dive into our entire Olympic team that’s been sent over there I think that’ll be that’ll be enjoyable yeah yeah so give oh wait I’m not done yeah we need to talk about one thing you know it’s my favorite I love to watch Oaks get dawned hey you like violence W UFC watch EFC now yes UFC WIA dominating alisov uh which is quite a big one because alisov was on a seven win streak Robert Whittier the dad of the UFC but even a topic I want to bring up because potential matchup forz Rodriquez so would that be I’m I’m assuming after the Australia he could be a substitute for either one of the two he’s definitely intitled contention just fun for the division I mean it’s so luy that our boy’s the top of that division but he’s going to have some competition okay are you done now I’m done with that okay thank you Dino um with that guys can we move to my moment of the week please so there’s just there’s just one moment only one moment this weekend here it was the double hit the work rate of one edell faga [Music] you see here intercept that R look at this work tackle one yes tackle two that’s two driving try saving tackles on the Trot I mean watch the leg the legs come around so he’s in position to stand up and make the second tackle straight away what a game that he had on a today with that guys please let’s welcome our guest on the couch this [Music] evening hey what do you say yeah not much brother nice to have you on there thank you very much for making time to be on the show lots to talk about but before we get into that please look into that camera give us your name your nickname your surname your claim to fame and your reason to wake up on a Monday um hi guys I’m gr Thompson um reason to wake up in the morning is now my kids 5:00 in the morning they’re jumping all over me so that’s that’s where I’m at at the moment um my claim to fame is I’ve got big carves basically for a cricketer uh fun fact um and I forgot the other one what was that what’s your nickname my nickname Tomo very stock standard from the surname stock standard no there’s not not not much uh going on there oh okay no wonderful to have you um on here let’s get straight into uh the Cricket World Cup which I’m sure you are following quite closely explain to us this imported pitch thing it’s not a a batsman’s wicket but the bowlers are doing superbly yeah it’s a lucky it’s a tough one to to try and get my head around as well myself but uh I mean the drop in Pitch has always been uh is mainly in in Australia so now obviously in you know you in the states that don’t really have grounds to speak of so they’ve had to do the a little bit of improvisation um so they’re getting in this drop in Pitch from I think it was in Australia yes um they had to bring it across and normally these things take about four or five months to like settle in couple of games need to be played on them let the you know everything just settle down right so I think it’s been a little bit rushed um you know and you get the you get a world class fast bowler or even a spinner for that matter on on a wicket that gives him some sort of assistance so uh we’d say up and down bounce or a little bit of lateral movement so like a bit of extra C movement okay and spin um you know and when the wickets not as as true as what you you most probably used to back home in like Australia India South Africa you know the wickets have been been played on regularly they’ve got a nice you know solid foundation um the ball comes on really nicely it’s really easy for a better to play his shots um and it actually takes Bowlers you know their weapons a little bit away from them as well just to kind of get those high scoring games with this dropping pitch we haven’t seen much of that um I was about to say yeah either I’m watching the wrong World Cup but the exact opposite is happening you know um you’ve seen a few balls jumping off a length and I mean you get a you get a guy bowling 145s at you and and you go forward and the ball Rises up and hits you on the gloves you it’s it’s intimidating for one your safety is you know your lack for a better Ward you know you you really do pucker up a little bit you know it’s scary out there um then next ball you get one to go low so to try and go there and play with confidence and play your shots like you you used to back home becomes really tough and you’ve got to you know almost take a little bit of a a more of a defensive mindset um in that regard where the gamees progress so quickly um over the last sure three or four years that batters are really coming in you know look at the scores in the IPL now um you know chasing down 250 260 it’s it’s ridiculous it’s ridiculous and we’re not seeing that at at the moment and I want to ask you about in in particular that that five five over power play you’re not seeing very many scores and actual fact you’re seeing more wickets and some scores yeah no especially and look with that with the wickets being a little bit untrue especially with that harder new ball that it almost like exaggerates that a little bit as well right um so while the ball’s not nice and hard you know they get a little bit of extra bounce and a little bit of extra C movement as well as a bit of stop and turn from The Spinners as well yes I about to say how Spin The Spinners are all doing well from the various countries they’re getting the better of the fast Bowlers except of course he’s just uh he’s having an amazing tournament yeah coming off the back of RPL where he was quite expensive and he got hurt a little bit but I suppose that’s also him coming back from injury sure um you know just getting back into his Groove a little bit as well the rhythm’s coming back now you know you can see him pumping his legs bowling nice and quick again um and especially now you give him a little bit of assistance where he didn’t have that in India you know playing on really short small Fields you know and and the the wickets were were quite flat um you know so he got he he you came into a bit of tap there but now that he’s got a bit of assistance you know he’s a world beater he’s a fantastic bowler um you know and you give him something and he gets a his tail up you know watch out for for that man so Dino mentioned a little bit earlier it’s been 10 years since we’ve been in this position here do we get excited now are we still nervous because um you know after watching that game there earlier this morning and now looking into the semi-finals and hopefully a final you kind of just look at the protest and you think yeah man okay guys like all right you guys are serious yeah look it’s uh it’s fantastic that we’ve got to the semis already um you know this morning sure we needed what 30 or you know 35 36 balls you know few wickets in hand and all of a sudden you know the wickets started falling and I was like oh no you know squeaky bum time oh is it that is that time again you know and uh you know we managed to pull it through and and just like the Box you know we we we we getting through these you know I want to say knockout stages but it it was a you know quarterfinal basically for us today um you know we’re getting through these these really tight games and and we haven’t put our best performance on the park yet so if we can click now in the semi-finals and finals my man you know there’s there’s a great chance for us you know it’s a 50/50 chance as we stand now already so already and and we’ll take that we’ll take that hard so beating USA and beating West Indies being the host Nations is definitely a trip on our shoulder and I’m pretty sure if things go England’s way they would want to be in the final and we could potentially see them again do we have an upper hand having beaten them already as well yeah I think especially with that close game as well I mean England have have played some good Cricket over the last you know 18 months as well you know they’ve been really doing nicely and uh you know our biggest our biggest uh hdle was actually the Netherlands you know they knocked us out in the last uh last World Cup so we got through that and nice squeaky bum time there as well you know good pressure and then Nepal just came out of nowhere also and then we then we go so uh and then we go with England we knock them over um you know momentum’s definitely on our side you know winnings a culture winning you know you get that momentum so um yeah I’m backing Us big time and it’s definitely been a lot of fun because there they can’t actually be a favorite anymore you have these a team like Napo putting on performances and I mean Netherlands putting on performances New Zealand gone home G it’s anybody’s game so I think when to to have that winning feeling is a great thing there’s no losses up until now so let’s go something unusual for us to be at 100% rate so far so to Aiden markam and the lads hey we’re backing you we’re behind you guys fully now and hopefully uh we can get the business done um in the next week or so in the World Cup there coming back to you grant so you went to the best school in the country uh High School uh playing cricket and then you move into a professional setup we speak a lot about that transition where players are never ready M you know as much as you’d like to prepare as much as you know your your management team is there is backing you one where did you go to immediately after school and how was that transition for you yeah I think as a as a cricketer it it’s it’s quite a tough one either you you play sa schools um and you get a you know a professional contract and your path is actually quite design nicely for you you go to a to a franchise or a provincial now um you know and you settle in there you you either sign a one or a two your deal so you know your duration uh you work with your coaches there but then for the guys that don’t get that so the guys that don’t play sa schools um or even the guys that do play a say under 19 um you know that don’t pick up their contract straight away it’s quite a it’s quite a shell shock because you’ve got to go back to Club Cricket um or Varsity Cricket um and unlike rugby you know you we do have like a varsity cup and a club Champs uh you know where you can get that exposure and that but Cricket really is you go back to your clubs and you know you got to you got to do it the harder way now you know you got to put in those regular performances so it really is tougher for you know guys that don’t get that that straight away um you know and it can be quite daunting because all of a sudden you come from you know playing sa schools now all of a sudden you’re just a a normal Joe soap there that plays his Sunday Club Cricket playing with Dino the guy that used to play Last Man stand and then there he is in the same Cricket you there in the slips coming hard at you I saw you play on TV now I’m nicking you off here I mean you know so um it is a bit of a challenge there with with with that regard so there are the two two options there um and obviously you know a lot of those guys do get picked up in universities they go and study um you know play your University cricket and then hopefully get picked up through the through through that way so in your opinion where do we find the middle ground is it that you know because from what I’ve seen certainly the club system is fairing a lot better than the the the varsity system in terms of the cricket in terms of the EXP exposure in terms of the cricket that’s been played um is it that we get that Varsity right up there in terms of ensuring that our top guys are there it’s played at a at a at a competitive level or we just you know keep the club system alive yeah look I think Club Cricket in in South Africa is vitally important especially now with the with us changing the structures what I think it was two years ago three years ago now um so Club clicket really does become you know a massive part of of of our game um you know we’ve got to improve that improve the standards improve the facilities and get get get older guys coming back and playing as well you know it mustn’t just be a younger guy that’s just fresh out of school you need to keep out of that little bit more of an experience guy um you know good club men as we as we speak um which that that that has dwindled a little bit but I think that’s coming back quite nicely you know especially here in joerg you got that Josie cup where I see a lot of guys of of playing that now in Winter as well so you know there’s a little bit of eyes on there I’m a little disappointed in the varsity cup cuz I actually thought that was a really good product um you know they play there in poch and you know all the guys just dwindled away no really really has just like just taken a side side Winder there um you know Club Champs also used to be like a massive um you know tournament for for the average you know Club player um I know that’s coming coming back here and there but uh you know the the the varsity Cup winners would go automatically into that as well um so you know there is that like that Avenue that’s kind of just missing there um you know like with your rugby you know that Varsity cup brand and and and that is is huge you know what a what an exciting time but now with this sa20 coming around as well that that’s also um rejuvenated our sport as well which which was desperately needed I think as well and then from from a school boy level I mean I was at the jwe final um in in in the summer and it was it was refreshing to see so many people coming to support cricket and I think another thing that is against a cricket is the amount of uh competitions that we’re involved in um at a at a at a school level to give those guys at air time to give them that Competitive Edge I mean I don’t think since you were at school you finished 2006 there’ have been many more Cricket tournaments or or festivals since then I mean there’s your ml M there’s your Johnny weight here in in in Johannesburg and then pretty much it yeah there there’s been a few um like super schools typ of tournaments and stuff but also again you know um just dwindles um so I think well look I mean Cricket is a more maybe a bit more of a traditional sport sure you know we the mckl misses have been going on forever and Johnny weight’s been going on since you know forever as well I played Johnny we there was a 25 over competition back in the day showing my age but uh yeah so so the game has evolved in that n 2020 competition um so yeah look I’d really like to see something new and fresh come out um you know especially I think our school boy uh standards are are very good at the moment and and and our school boy um you know pipeline is strong you know just in South Africa we’ve got great schools um but I think we’ve almost you know just allowed that to happen and and you know the powers that be have kind of just said you know what it’s all good we this pop L’s pumping we’ve got a lot of things coming out of here let’s just let it be um so a lot of uh a lot of William work has been done you know by by um provinces to try and do their own thing like ating and a couple of Invitational things but nothing’s really taken off um there’s a massive space there for for for that to to really get some traction there I think well well hopefully you know the PO thatb as you say take it on you know I look from a a school setup point of view your A B Teams you know cool then you get you know see team up until whatever letter you get up to and you know there’s a do I want to wear long whes all Saturday and go field on the boundary to maybe bet at number eight type thing they’re like no so they need to make it more exciting because the guys want a jam Cricket so um you know do we make the game shorter do we Implement rules similar to like the V cup to make it a little bit more exciting and attractive for for youthful Cricket I think our conversations uh that we need to be having Grant you are very involved in in development Cricket you’re a coach uh uh as well yourself you you rarely invested into uh uh the the youth leagues from primary school right up from a sumers sport perspective we are seeing a massive massive Trend and a massive massive growth in basketball between girls um and boys in Primary School up until High School um and various other a a summer Sports and we’re not seeing the the numbers that we we saw 10 years ago in terms of the cricket space why is that do you think yeah I think it’s a combination of a few things I think uh you know like you said it’s a long day um which it look um you know with the you know 220 coming into it quite big now so it has shortened it down but it’s still about 3 or 4 hours you know so it’s a whole morning or a whole afternoon um so that does it is time consuming um and also it’s quite an expensive game you know you need a bat you need you need pads you need gloves so it is quite expensive um and you know that does sh people away from the from the game you know you um back in the day even when I was at K’s basketball was wasn’t even anything big you know that’s just you know one of those summer sports that someone plays I make the cricket side yeah you have to do a summer Sport and I don’t want to swim so I’ll go and do basketball or tennis or something like that you know so we now I mean the basketball guys most probably going like we’ve worked our asses to get you what do you mean guys are losing support so I suppose they’ve done some really good work on on on that side as well um and the attractions there you know the NBA and that and the scouts are coming this side now as well so I mean you can see the attraction um but as a cricket thing we haven’t really done anything Innovative you know we tried that that that uh that sa20 and unfortunately that also died a quick death um you know don’t want to slate CSA too much but they’ve also had their finger to a role to play in that um in development um you know and and putting money back into Grassroots and and and and running something really successful in that uh in that thing so there is a space there for them to to to tap into um you know and look we’ve seen it at our domestic game as well our domestic games also dwindled a little bit you know the support the fans aren coming yes um you know except for this sa20 which is uh which has really taken off really nicely Grant uh watching you as a junior at KES I was one of your Juniors so I knew that you didn’t just play cricket I knew you were a great Sportsman all around I actually remember you on a rugby field as well yeah what made you select Cricket or did that just happen naturally yeah I think yeah I led my Rugby you know playing first team at at at cares um it was before it was before the Hop you know we weren’t we weren’t the cares that you know today you know we were you know even in my you know my what form one year I think we won like three or four games you know so at cares you know watching their first team so uh you know we it wasn’t really such a big thing um but we we turned it around we actually did quite nicely I think we won 60% of our games I suppose you know from then to to there is quite a big jump so we we did quite nicely um but then after school um yeah I just went further with Cricket you know I got a um invited to the Lions Academy um you know so went straight into Academy straight from from school um so I wouldn’t say like cricket was my Cricket’s always my passion I played it since I was a liy um but yeah I would have loved to have given the the rugby a go but rugby wasn’t as professional as it is now either um you know so Spas I think was a year or two after after me um I don’t know when he started at KES but uh was definitely after 2006 look if he was there who knows you know maybe yeah could have you could have just come back from from Wales there yeah but uh yeah school you know cricket was just uh I got further with Crick quicker let’s put it that way yeah opportunities were there so just to go back to Lucky’s last question with uh and statement about the boys not completely committing to Cricket and moving around I have this feeling that when you’re a cricket player it’s known from a very early age that you are going to be a cricket player and then that is pushed through from the beginning till the end now with that being said is that maybe why the lities are moving to other sports they realize they’re not the main guy anymore they or they’re not going to make it you can see in each team who the strong guys are or is there still development that can take place for a guy who who was a nobody and played thirds in matrick to make it still yeah look I think ear marking now even in the rugby space has gotten really you know everything you know it’s gotten a lot more professional and it happens a lot more quicker um so I think in saying that guys you know everybody thinks at at 12 13 I’m going to be the next springb or I’m going to be the next Pro tier player you know and then life happens you know so there’s various aspects with that um you know guys have to find chicks and and partying and all of that that comes into the mix so that’s another side especially yes so you know that’s another another aspect to look at and and because it’s gotten so professional that maybe don’t get that recognition straight away and they right I’m done it’s also a different change of times guys there’s a lot of there’s a lot of other things out there that are stealing the kids attention rather than getting outside and play yeah you know we live in a different era um you know when I was I didn’t even have a cell phone at school now you want to you know these got cell phones you got PlayStations you’ve got I think the guys that on ESPN that do the PlayStation you know soccer games earn bloody more than some of the soccer players actually yeah so some of the soccer players yeah okay so we’re getting an inkling of what type of dad Grant is yeah and with that being said a father of three professional Sportsman and a dad um do you place any pressure on your lities I know you got two boys maybe they in the Nets are ready or is are you trying for no at this point in time I mean Leo’s only he’s turning five in November so he’s still a ly I mean he’s got a tension span of a squirrel at the so he he comes he hits three Cricket balls and he he kicks a soccer ball grabs a rugby ball BS and then he’s back in front of the TV you know so that’s I suppose it’s part of part of the thing he really loves that TV so to try and keep him away from it is bloody hell it’s hard work but uh yeah no pressure at this moment in time um you know and he must choose his own thing um he must do his own thing and I I was very sheltered I suppose I could say that growing up where it was sport sport Sports you know um to get get you know I played soccer from a very young age then straight into rugby straight into tennis right into some you know rugby and Cricket at KES so I was always on the sports field yeah um it was a way of for my parents just to kick me out the house get them out of the house yeah you know there’s this thing in schools called specialization you’re just speaking now about how you were you know guy that just got stuck in and involved played Cricket played rugby enjoyed Sports um I’d like to think that it developed you into the wonderful all around Sportsman that uh that you what are yours on specialization or are you old school and you must play everything yeah look until a certain age I think that’s what is that certain age I think around 16 you you you kind of know if you’re better at a sport than another sport I think that’s kind of the age I think these days at 16 guys already got an agent or something and you know they’re pushing them into a direction already and yeah um so I think you you do have that trajectory that happens a lot quicker now these days then then then back in the day um you know straight out of school you’re getting Pro you know provincial contracts you see it in the rugby space you’re definitely seeing it in the cricket space now where um a lot of the youngsters from that S9 side are coming through playing franchise Cricket already so I think that that draw card is maybe making the kids specialize a little bit younger um you know maybe that because that’s happening and also you know that professional the professionalism in school is just Second To None um you know I’m I’m getting involved now with je as well and and we also trying to get that Cricket a little bit more professional and and try and keep it up with the rugby um you know and uh you know the hours that that goes into to to get your rugby program or your Cricket program to I don’t want to say compete with the Joneses or keep up with the Joneses but you it takes time and effort and it’s really hard work to to to maintain the levels of other schools you know so you have to do that and I think if you don’t have a winter program on offseason program in that particular sport I think you kind of get left behind so can’t be getting the water polo boys out the pool for some Cricket likey yeah well um you know you you see you see a lot of that in terms of the the the development of players and you know the decision that school’s going to make is do we want to compete at the highest level or do you want to participate yeah and once you make those that that decision either we’re going to put resources and invest into it or we’re happy that little Tommy’s going to play on a Saturday and as long as he made friends and great cadri and had fun that’s that and and and that’s where we’re sitting at the moment and where where schools are falling in danger he trying to do both you can’t do both either we’re going Full Tilt yes I can sell a fun whilst you know playing at the highest um level but are we playing to to win and be the best that we possibly can be or are we just there for Vibes and as they say honoring um a fixture so I think yeah look I think schools get stuck yeah they do but it it it’s it’s a tough one to to navigate isn’t it because you also want to give your your really talented boys in a certain field the best chance to make a career in that as well but at the same time you want to keep the that’s where your supporters come from basically you know not to sound nasty or anything but the guys that played school boy rugby or school boy Cricket you know once that that that finishes for them hopefully they go into a club system and carry on playing in the club system now you you you got more numbers you you Club systems nice and healthy um so we can’t be throwing that away right so so it’s a it’s a ecosystem that has to work together you can’t just have professionalism and no enjoyment you know at the same time we’ve got to be careful that we making professional athletes at such a young age these days you know where’s the room for them to to be a kid where’s the room for them to fall in love with the game you know you you you’re looking at 15 16 year old boys going to to a sports field and and thinking that it’s a job now at 15 or 16 you crazy to think yeah so you’ve got to try and find that balance and I don’t have the answers but you definitely have to try and find it and yeah I I I suppose now my journey with with the with Jey hopefully we can try and get that balance right you know already just being there for for a short couple of months you know the rugby guys come in into the net for training every now and then and you know the hockey guys come off the Astro and and and come in and so they there is a way to get around it you’re not taking the guy away from hockey but you need to coexist and then you got to throw academics in there and now the parents really hate you and then yeah you’re not the most you’re not the most favorite person um around one thing I have noticed a grant and perhaps is me being naive women’s Cricket girls Cricket yeah I mean you talk about Jey I saw during the summer just outside the Indoor Cricket n the jeppy girls coming over for some Cricket lessons I’ve got a friend of mine who’s a sports director at a primary school in in Ken where they got boys and girls and they play fixtures together in the in the same team at a at an age group level so I’ve been really impressed and again perhaps me being naive maybe it’s bigger than than I’ve seen but girls Cricket is starting to come on yeah um in leaps and in Leaps and Bounds particularly from that junior level have you had any experience um there yeah so we we work quite closely with our women’s teams in in in most respects you know wherever we are especially provincially and we do try and go and do do some coaching clinics and camps and stuff with the with the the up andc coming girls as well so it’s great to see it it’s growing so quickly um the level has has improved you know when that the international women’s Cricket has been around for a while but never really taken off like it has now um you know youve got you got a women’s IPL you’ve got the Women’s World Cups coming up now and you know the the the standard and level of cricket that and their skill level they’ve upskilled dramatically in the last five or six years and it’s a really good product so um it’s great to see and and uh you know we’ve we’ve got provincial uh proper provincial setup now for the women and uh you know we part of sacka now as well we’ve we’ve got them part of sacka now as well so that really is growing big time from them and uh only good things are coming from the women’s game and it’s great to see that filtering down into other schools um and it’s not just that that Prof profession level you know women’s crickets going around um you know the schools and they they starting really young still a lot of work to be done because you like you say you seeing a lot of girls playing in the boys men’s you know boys Cricket sides and stuff so hopefully that you know by the pro tier is doing so well and all these beautiful um you know tournaments around the world it really does Build It Up from the slly yeah so your role in development we spoke to and I want to do an in-depth dive there at what age groups are you starting what are you seeing as uh your your toughest challenge in terms of the Juniors I’m talking from you know 5 to to to 8 CU then you get that 9 to 13 and then the high school sure where are the challenges there yeah where are the wins there as you as you get up where are you focusing most of your attention um so yeah I I’ve been coaching um so I actually did it back to front to be fair I I was I was actually a coach before I was a professional cricketer right so I coached straight out of school um at K’s I started off uh oh Jimmy Cook in the G so yeah I was in there for yeah almost 10 years there with Jimmy and and Ryan and Steven um you know so so we were in there for uh and then I I you know I was lucky enough to be able to coach and hold on long enough to to get those those breakthroughs professionally um so yeah I’ve been coaching for for many a moon now so I think I started in those indoors in 2009 so uh yeah many moons ago you see where your hair’s gone yeah there you go so uh yeah look I think you know the biggest challenge that I come across is parents you know I’ll be honest you know you know the parents of a very talented kid um you know they pushed them so hard and at a young age and like I said it’s you know these kids never really fall in love with the game first you don’t enjoy it enjoying it exactly uh you know becomes a a bit of a um a tooth you know like tooth pulling exercise just to get little Johnny to get to the Nets and stuff like that so I think uh I think that that regard um development’s been a bit bit of an issue for us as well like I said um you know just everything’s expensive getting getting kids from underprivileged areas into decent schools and to decent facilities decent coaching um I think that’s also been uh been a quite a and it’s great A lot of these boy schools give massive bseries these days to a lot of under priv um underprivileged kids and get them on the right trajectory and give them not only a platform in cricket but a platform in life you know that’s that that’s been a the the the biggest thing for me um so numbers is also like you said dwindling um but within that that professionalism has come and that specialization come so I I think that’s kind of taken care of itself um Talent is R I think that that is that is one thing that we have in space an abundance in this country is is Talent we got so much talented boy we just we just need to make sure that um we we channel that in the right direction um there’s been a lot of um you know a lot of private coaches ummies have popped up in a lot of different places um you know and the information that they’re getting is it the right stuff is it not we’re not sure um because it’s a private you know privately owned thing you’re doing your own thing there your own thing lots of great work being done don’t get me wrong um but it’s almost I I was I was scared of it becoming a bit of a money-making thing where it’s just turning out numbers and the quality dwindles a little bit from the coach coaching side so that’s my little two cents worth um but in terms of of uh Talent we’ve got it in terms of um the skill level maybe we can up skill guys a little bit quicker um especially from a from a 16 odd you know 16 16 years and up I’ve seen a lot of guys come into the first class setup and they they’re so talented they’re so that you know and you can see they’ve been to goodies because they can play any shot in the book but they can’t build an Innings they can’t they can’t tell you when to use it assessing conditions um I know I’m getting quite technical here but hopefully someone can resonate with what I’m saying yeah no no no somebody definitely will yeah din maybe not but someone definitely will so how to put that all together because you you’re terribly talented and you know I coached the in under 19 tournament now and we lost in the in the in the final but some of the shots these boys are playing it’s just ridiculous you’d have never imagined yourself at% you know and uh um I’ve had to reinvent myself as a player just to stay relevant with the times as well you know these new shots and these scops and all of these type of things and all the boys have got them but now it’s how to put them together how to be a little bit more consistent in in in that role um and also I think the guys are are trying to be the the next Dev bre so the um you know the Basher there there is room for the the the technical um sound cricketer um we can’t all have 11 guys going out on the field and just playing Cowboy Cricket a little bit you know we we we also need the guys to be a little bit more calculated um understand risk and then upskill with our Bowlers as well obviously with with batters taking that more of aggressive approach there’s room for our Bowlers to catch up now as well um our Bowlers can can upskill slower balls Yorkers understanding plans and and so forth I know there’s a lot there but sure okay um yeah so so lots to do and then where are we getting it right where do you look I know you speak about the abundance of talent the freedom with which the players uh uh play with and express um themselves the schools that are getting involved to afford opportunities uh to deserving um Learners the upskilling of players and uh and and hopefully coaches as well from um from schools that are not recognized in cricket as as as much as the next where are the big wins where where are we getting it right um in terms of our development Cricket I think our school system is so strong that you know every year we pumping out really talented crickets so um you know cricketers so I think uh we we really are doing some fantastic job you know the school the schools are producing you know your cares is still still you do doing really nicely St John’s is just one that Johnny W now you know they they’ve got a great CR Cricket system um Jey now the cricket system there is looking really solid and uh you know even the work that they’ve been doing there has been really really good and I’m impressed with um so in in terms of that there’s that’s just of what I’ve known as well and then also you know Grassroots you know with the hubs are coming on uh we got Hub coaches so it’s almost underneath our CT side so you get your professional then your your CT side and then the Hub side right so the hubs are coming through uh really strong there as well um so I mean we’re doing we are doing some some fantastic work and uh you know I think CSA we’ve done really work really well there getting that that system up and running um you know and uh I think W without um without time you know we’re not going to see the be the fruit of that uh so we have to give those those systems a little bit more time to to to develop and settle in as well I think you know I’ll tell you a funny story I don’t think I’ve I’ve I’ve told uh any of my water polo mates this story so as one does I get accepted into King Edward and in that January there’s at Camp you know for summer Sports so I go to the to the cricket Clinic because I thought hey coming from Orange Grove Primary School I’m a a medium bowler and I’m a number four batsman I think to myself hey let me give this a bash so we have this whole weekend was Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday we have this Camp so School opens up on Tuesday and um I remember Mr Marx was there as a director of sport and he had spoken to us that we’ll put the teams on the on the notor board because we’re literally playing our first fixture that coming weekend so with a confidence there I go look on the wall started the A Team I don’t see myself B team I don’t see myself I’m thinking you know maybe it’s one of those these clearly don’t know me it’s the Wall of Death I remember if your name wasn’t on that if it wasn’t there so look and I look but I was in the G team reserve the All Blacks yeah I was in the G team Reserve so obviously I still think I’m a pretty good cricketer so I scheme well screw that I’m not going to a g team Reserve team yeah so I look you know you had that two we window to choose your summer sport so the next best thing I was good at is swimming so I’m like cool let’s go to the swimming pool I check on the notice board when swimming trials are um I rock up to the to to to the polar pool or the swimming pool rather and I see these Oaks are in the water throwing around what looks like a football and I’m like what is that and they said to me water po I was like let’s give it a bash next thing there’s a Hungarian cesy that made us s 3ks every day for the rest of our Liv luy and it was a pleasure having you in there and with weight belts and things so that was my Cricket career King of the 7even school you spent your Cricket career in the yes no one bothered to tell me that I was going to one of the best Cricket schools in the country so obviously I walked in there like a wig and then little did I know hey papa so anyway the water polar side of that was was quite fantastic but water po wasn’t my first choice in in high school I thought I was going to be um the next best cricketer at the school but yeah that was a tough one you get used to get dropped coach didn’t used to tell you to read onot or one of your friends would come and tell you that your name is not on the board to the stairs there the teams always used to come out at first break and we used to bolt to the stairs there to see what team you in cuz like you said the coach never used to tell you I mean the kids now you know they get on there there’s a sports app that you see no you had to look we’re literally sitting there looking for a name and if your name doesn’t appear it’s tickets Pap it’s not go to the coach and excuse me sir hey we had a t back there and that that board and then the top 10 board remember that one oh yeah academics board all right I used the top 10 body just kept on walking past you weren bother you weren’t bother to look there no the only reason you looked at the top 10 board was you see if you’re higher than your major so you could laugh at him yeah that was a tough right now somebody would probably get a lawsuit against if they published your academic results for everyone to see because it’s all private and confidential now we used to have the top 100 on the board so used to see and they used to R your percentage there so you buckled yeah my goodness hey the things that you saiden as schol so anyway that was my that was my a cricket career let’s come back to your Cricket career where are you at now yeah so I’ve just signed a contract to come back to easn storm okay yeah so in Bon uh yeah so I started off uh at at King uh played a couple of first class games there then moved to to eastn um yeah that’s basically where I I stayed for a while and then I played for the Titans for I was contracted with the Titans for about seven years uh Captain the Titans Captain eastn um then I went to did a short stint now in in uh Northern cap kimbery was there for two years um geez that must have been tough it’s far it is far but yeah with the kids and and that it’s it’s not it’s not the worst eh fa enough I enjoyed my little 5 and a half hours to myself there get there practice and then sleep by yourself with no one waking you up fair enough let’s hope the Miss is not watching this episode well yeah let’s hope so yes having such a full and healthy career and being the AGR and still being relevant what is the goal yeah yeah right now it’s uh so I’ve played 97 games uh first loss game so I want to get to that 100 uh I think that’s uh one of a nice Milestone to get especially now with these days you know our fixtures have have bundled quite a bit you know we went from playing like 30 Games a season to to now we most probably about 26 27 so yeah to try and get U and that’s all that’s over three formats as well so um to try and get to that 100 game Mark quite uh going to be quite tough now um yeah look um you know east’s approached me they they they’re really keen on getting promotion so they’re in the in the second division now um so yeah they they’re looking for me to come across and try and help them achieve their goal um you know I went to Northern Cape trying to do the same thing but unfortunately we just just fell short uh two years in a row um you know even winning the four-day competition and losing in the T20 final last year uh last season uh we still just came a little bit a little bit short from from that promotion you know the knce just got promoted back into division one um so so my goal is to to to really try and help uh help these these provinces try and get into that a division at the moment that was that was why I went to Northern Cape uh you know Charlie Mark charlon the coach there s sold me a dream a lack of vision and uh you know I jumped on board and that we really played uh some good cricket and uh you know at this age it’s nice because I’m not chasing Pro tiers I’m not I’m not chasing that you know um I’m chasing the the Love of the Game enjoyment I want to be in the tussle I want to play against the best in the world and um you know best what our country has to offer would you call it your golden hours I might be a little bit past that because my body starting to get a bit a bit long in the tooth but uh yeah definitely in my head I think I’ve matured a hell of a lot um you know around the game and and as a captain and and a senior player you know uh I think that’s that’s that’s what I enjoy I enjoy really helping the youngsters and guarding the youngsters through you know that’s one thing that that no one ever teaches you is is how to everyone always talks about how to become a professional Sportsman or how to get to the top no one ever talks to you about how to stay there like sure now you yeah good point how it yeah uh right yeah now you know what I’m saying no one ever no one ever really discusses that you know how how to you know how to be a professional sports yeah especially with the career that’s gone on for as long as yours has I mean life has played its parts as well Dad as well playing Cricket now still and still being very relevant yeah tell me is there any chance of seeing you in a sa2 or a X20 maybe a local up yeah no I doubt that um I think my time’s a bit too pass for that I did play in the sa um the zanzi Super League for two years I played at pole rocks uh and then I played there in uh um PE I think it was a Giants at the time so I did I did the two years that then we had the year break and then this sa20 launched and I I just fell fell off the wrong side of the of the wagon maybe a little bit too old and then your favorite format of the game that’s a tough one eh um yeah lately I’ve actually been doing better in in four-day cricket and one day crickets um than T20 um to say that I mean we I still do quite nicely in T20 cricket but uh yeah I think I’m a bit more of a purist at heart the the longer format is a bit more of a of a um test of your skill test of your patience you know tactical you know that’s yeah I love that type of stuff you can tell he’s an allrounder it’s all over all must be the cops must be the cops um as as as we begin to uh wrap up Grant um you apart from the coaching you uh give programs as well you uh are a guest speaker for uh for uh for for for Cricket um you coach coaches and give seminars if if somebody’s interested somebody out there’s whether my six-year-old is going to be a good cricketer or not where do we reach you how do we find you uh so yeah I mean normally you just phone me but I don’t know if I can just give my phone number I don’t do that yeah so just you can out there yeah on Instagram um just you can D DM me on on Tom chat at 18 um so or just gr Thompson it will come up as well so um yeah you can find me that way I’m not really that active because I’m still playing so um and I don’t have much time to be fair so um I haven’t really really advertise that much and put myself out there that much for the coaching side of things uh um but uh yeah if you if you really need help and you know I’m always there to help and you know send me a little bit of a DM and let’s see where we can take it not that type of DM dinner yes folks messaging Grant on Friday night need a bit of help yeah boy for last men stands yeah no not that taken off quite fastly as well they it has actually yeah and that you know that’s another Avenue where you know people have found a gap particular Club level to make it more enterprising to make it a bit more intriguing so quick fast maybe something for the schools to think about especially at a um you know can you imagine that o fifth team in matrick do he really want to go play 25 overs but Jay like imagine you’re a batsman and you get bowled out for four and now you have to stand on the boundary it’s it’s just you you at least you’ll be the first guy to get an orange at off time yeah you just have to just hop over there the the boundary the boundary rope but um you know some things to consider to make the game exciting because I think we’re a hugely talented Nation like you said there is massive interest in um in in cricket it’s just how we keep those youngsters um uh involved and how we just see their progression through into that senior level that you talk about and you speak of mentorship as well in that professional level like you know what you do when you get there so hope those that are in positions of Power Authority are listening out and can definitely Champion the cause there Grant an absolute pleasure now I can confidently tomorrow when someone asks me about the pitch in America I can tell them okay this is why the ball cuz so far I’ve just been like yeah that c grass of Australia that’s been my reason lucky I think a lot of people don’t understand the big difference it is when when you do get on a wicket like that against the best Bowlers in the world and OES are Bing fast it’s you have no reaction time you know that thing goes up or down and sideways you really are you know you you had sixes and sevens there as a better so I think that plays a big part and uh yeah people should put their pads on and come face the a few Thunderbolts from the boys and see how they the they I’ll be looking like the Michelin Man how many pads I would have well there’s a challenge for you folks go go throw a couple of balls around there but as far as the poaches are involved hopefully it’s just up up up we’re backing the boys all the way uh this coming weekend well folks that’s us H another week another guest on the couch another episode of coach on a couch please do remember guys click that subscribe uh button apparently if I do this it will magically appear so click on the Subscribe button down below here we are on social uh media give us a shout out there on Instagram and on Tik Tok as well you can catch us on coach on a couch or at lux8 or you know the Don bani find him out on the social media streets as well we’d love to engage with you if I don’t reply to you it’s all Dino’s fault not mine folks that’s it from us from our couch to yours we’ll see you next week yes lucky we got it again baby [Music]
1 Comment
That double tackle by Edwill van Der Merwe💥