My week with the Proteas in Amsterdam, was a truly inspirational experience. I was sitting in a privately charted airplane on my way to London and reflected. I immediately thought of Mike Horn, Gary Kirsten , JP Duminy and the city of Amsterdam.
Do many South Africans know Mike Horn? Before heading to Amsterdam I definitely knew of him, partly because of the work he had done with Proteas in Switzerland and with teams in the IPL. But now I acknowledge that he is a national treasure, a man that is humble, passionate and has done things that the bravest would sit back and admire. His stories are unbelievably motivational and every word captivates his audience.
Together Mike and Gary Kirsten spoke to the team on the 3rd day and I sat at the back of the room with goose bumps. Was I in a movie? Was this script written out by the directors of The Miracle and Remember the Titans? This was the pep talk of all pep talks...
I'm sure their words played in the head of the returning JP Duminy. Class is definitely permanent and to me he really showcased the professionalism of a world class athlete. This is a man who scored 150 not out in a return fixture against the Dutch after a 6,5 month lay off. That amount of time out of the game can only go two ways. Either the athlete looks at the time out as time to improve aspects of his game or not. He could have easily slipped in depression, as some elite sportsmen do, due to the time out of the game. He could have put on weight and be happy with his game, but he used the time out to improve himself holistically. He is a mentally strong individual and this injury put him to test, physically I was impressed by his fitness and his achievement in his come back game showed his desire to perform for his country.
Dutch Cricket Association proved to be outstanding hosts. They did everything they could to make us feel welcome in their beautiful country. Amsterdam itself is a beautiful city, set amongst canals, architecture and stunning museums. The cricket facilities and setting in Amsterdam was top draw. I'm pretty sure JP Duminy would acknowledge that the pitch was certainly a good one.
The 7 day camp definitely achieved the expectations, the powers that be had potted out some months ago. I am sure that this group of individuals that form the Champions Trophy squad, are highly motivated and accept the challenges that lie ahead.......
@Craig_gov
Craig Govender Physiotherapy @ The Bullring
