PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago Red Force fast bowler Marlon Richards has credited South African star Jacques Kallis for helping to improve his game, and says he is eager to put his enhanced skills to use in the upcoming WICB Professional Cricket League.
The 26-year-old Richards played alongside Kallis for Red Steel during the recent Caribbean Premier League and said he had gained valuable advice from the all-rounder.
“I learned a lot from Jacques Kallis. As I say class is permanent but form is temporary and he really showed his class throughout the tournament,” Richards said.
“He was performing in all the games up until the semi-finals because his body could not keep up with the rigours of the tournament because he is much older now.
“His approach to the game, the way he batted, the notes we took from him and the advice he gave us was invaluable.”
He added: “At the end of the day cricket is just bat and ball but the mental aspect of the game really makes or breaks an individual. That is what he mostly tried to enforce with us and the manner in which we thought about the game.”
Kallis was the finest all-rounder of the contemporary game. He amassed 13 289 runs from 166 Tests at an average of 45 with 45 hundreds, and grabbed 292 wickets at an average of 32. In 328 One-Day Internationals, he hit 11 579 runs and snared 273 wickets.
Richards, who has played just 19 first class matches and taken 52 wickets, said the PCL which bowls off in November would be the opportunity to showcase what he had learnt.
“I am going to transfer the advice in how I think about the game and my game itself,” he explained.
“What the four-day tournament is basically about is acquiring skill and applying it on the field over a longer period of time. It really is a test of the mind and not just depending on talent.
“Kallis really impressed upon me the necessity of planning and working out the opposition. His advice will really enhance my bowling and how I approach batsmen with the older ball.”
Red Force will be among six franchises doing battle in the PCL, along with title-holders Guyana Jaguars, Barbados Pride, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Windward Islands Volcanoes and Jamaica Scorpions