Beuran Hendricks, drafted in for the injured Dale Steyn, hopes to do his bit for the struggling South Africans in the ongoing World Cup.
“I am not going to say I can fill his shoes because its Dale. I come here with my own set of skills and my own ambition in this competition,” Hendricks said.
He added, “It’s just about making sure I can fight the good fight and contribute with the set of skills that I have.”
The 28-year-old was on his country’s list of standby players but his selection still came as a shock to him “I was just on my couch, watching TV, when I got the call. I didn’t know who I was replacing but then I saw in the media that it was Dale, which is a massive blow.”
Steyn’s departure has denied South Africa the services of their most experienced seamer and has added to an injury list which includes pacer Lungi Ngidi, who has a hamstring strain. Ngidi needs another week to recover which paves the way for Hendricks to make his World Cup debut.
Hendricks has a wealth of experience and success on the domestic scene, where he has lifted trophies with many teams. In the 2018-’19 summer, Hendricks was part of the winning Jozi Stars team in South Africa’s new T20 competition, the Mzansi Super League.
He also helped the Lions claim South Africa’s franchise first-class and twenty-over cups and was a late call-up to the Mumbai Indians, who won this year’s IPL. Hendricks hopes some of his good fortunes can rub off on South Africa.
“I am hoping to be the good luck the team needs. It’s been a good year for me personally and for the teams I have been with this year so let’s hope I can make it five (trophies) out of five.”
Not only does Hendricks bring a fresh mindset to the South African camp but he also adds a different dimension to their attack. Hendricks is a left-armer which South Africa have not had once since Wayne Parnell in 2017.
Hendricks knows that he will have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, especially given the position South Africa are in. “I am excited to be here. We are three matches down so it’s probably sitting deep with the guys. I only just arrived this morning, so I am feeling the hurt as well but the tournament is not over,” he said.