Marco Jansen is prepared to step into a new leadership role within South Africa’s pace attack for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, ready to shoulder the responsibility. With Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi out, Jansen will join the series as one of the more experienced bowlers in a group that also features Gerald Coetzee and Corbin Bosch.
South Africa’s ODI series against Australia kicks off on September 24 in Durban, with the second game set for September 27 in Johannesburg and the third on September 30 in Potchefstroom. The injuries to senior fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, both hamstring-related, have opened the door for Marco Jansen to take on a more prominent role in the bowling lineup.
At 26 years old, Jansen has represented his country in 83 international matches across all formats, comprising 32 ODIs, 30 T20Is, and 21 Tests. He has considerable experience with the team, even though he is younger than the two injured players. Rabada has played in 258 international matches, and Ngidi has appeared in 159. When discussing the responsibility ahead, Jansen said he is prepared to take on more duties on the field.
ESPN quotes Jansen saying, “It feels like I’m going to have to take that leadership role. I have to try and lead from the front. It’s probably going to be my first time taking up such a role so I’m quite excited for that. I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do if put in such a role.”
Jansen’s view of leadership has been influenced in part by playing with Rabada and Ngidi. Jansen does not see his new role merely as giving tactical directions; he believes an experienced bowler can play a crucial part in stabilising the situation when a match starts to favour the batting side.
He further added, “Leadership, and I’m only basing it off of playing with KG and Lungi and all those guys, is that when things go sideways or when things are tough, especially in the field, you have to have a way of calming things down and slowing things down. That’s probably what I’ll be trying to do.”
Jansen’s recent performances at home have shown he is prepared for greater responsibility. Last weekend, he claimed seven wickets in South Africa’s domestic first-class opener, helping Titans defeat Dolphins in Centurion. He delivered 26 overs in that match, more than any other bowler in the game.
Jansen’s readiness for the domestic match was interrupted by an illness that necessitated antibiotics for one-and -a -half to two weeks prior to the first-class game. This cut his preparation time down to just three days. Even with the brief preparation, he sensed his performance got better as the match went on.
