The Transcript of the Hansie Cronje Interview - Part III

Mike Haysman :It was, what turned it around?

Hansie: A lot of factors a lot of hard work behind the scenes, we were fortunate that there was a group of young players, who got together that had the same group of ideals and the same goals people like Rudolph Steyn, Louis Wilkinson, Joubert Strydom, Corrie Van Zyl, Brad Player, Allan Donald very talented bunch of young players more or less the same age became very close mates, and we had a coach Johan Volsteen who also knit us in a close bunch, to have fun but to compete, so that was the first step other than administrators that worked extremely hard behind the scenes.

Mike Haysman : Was Richard Davies one?

Yes Auther Turner was another, Mike Procter was coach a year before Volsteen and then I think the big turnaround for us was Franklin Stevenson, the team was starting to mature Eddie Barlow was the coach for a season that really gave us the confidence, Omar Henry was also a big part of that, that really gave us the confidence to say, “hey we can really compete at this level” have fun at the same time enjoy each other’s company perform really well and spark and help and motivate each other along.

Mike Haysman: Your mentioned Allan Donald, have you had any contact with Allan in the last couple of months since this story broke.

Hansie: I spoke to Allan on two occasions since the story broke and obviously he was very disappointed at what had happened, and that’s about where we left it.

Mike Haysman: How close have you guys been over the last few years?

Hansie: Allan was a friend from about Std 7 or 8 and we’ve had some fantastic times together, obviously bowling from a young age and very fast, doing particularly well and later on for the Free State and for South Africa as Captain, obviously relying a lot on him to perform very well and try motivate.

Mike Haysman: You often called on him for something extra special on the national colours?

Hansie: Yes and he produced 9 times out of 10 he was very very good, at times you want to pull your hair out of your head , because he's getting tired, and times you think he is unfit and you forget he's just done 24 overs and you ask for an extra over again, but he was unbelievable he bowled for Free State and for South Africa., whenever you wanted a good spell from Allan he seemed to produce it?

Mike Haysman: Do you think you will get the relationship back on track? Hansie: Yes, I think the relationship is back on track, I believe everyone makes mistakes and what’s great over the last 3 months is that a lot of people have come to me and said ”Listen we have all made mistakes, in light the hardest part is to forgive yourself , we’ve forgiven you as a mate as a friend, and we will get it back together and that’s what has been awesome to me, is that so many people have come to me and said “ you know we all make mistakes” we can just carry on from here. As long as you can forgive yourself.

Mike Haysman :Have you forgiven yourself?

Hansie: It is hard I think that it is the hardest part to forgive myself, obviously I have gotten myself into this mess, and that you can sort of forgive yourself for, but getting your family members and some of your teammates into the mess that is going to be the hardest part to forgive myself for, I know that – and I have said it before is that when I walk onto the field I gave 100% and that is going to be the hardest part to convince people that they should not put questions marks on all the performance in the past because it is easy to do that, and once I can convince everyone that that is the fact it is going to be easier to forgive yourself.

Mike Haysman: I would imagine you are enormously proud of your stats in your career?

Hansie: It’s strange though because pre-captain days for South Africa you thinking more of stats and you thinking more of average and you think more of yourself, the minute I became captain the team was number one to me, my goals and my aims were team goals, I wasn't worried about how many 100’s or averages or bowling or this or that from the time I became captain it was all about where the team was going, where the team was ranked, what the goals were for the team.

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