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The Will is Gone

Many years ago – when Faf du Plessis was still a
twinkle in his parent’s eyes – a group of relatively
young students sat through a motivational chat
presented by another South African legend –
survival specialist Quinton Coetzee. OK, so… you’ll
immediately be wondering what a survival specialist
and the SA Cricket captain have in common? Simple
really – survival. Months ago, I wrote a piece about
the disappointment of South Africa’s performance at
the Cricket World Cup.

I’m reminded of some of my comments about the key
players during that tournament. I’d like to share a few
of those observations because it seems that there is
a familiar ring to comments that are now made after
the rather disappointing series loss to the English test
team. There was the odd bright moment at the world
cup, much like the few bright moments during the
four-test series against the Pomms. A glimmer here…
a sparkle there but the odd feeling of malaise seemed
to permeate each appearance, each performance.
woes… players in and out, different players going cold. Lack of big
The management team change just before the start of the test series runs, lack of bowling penetration. Remember, in this past series, our
brought something early on, as if a quick Wellconal shot would solve team was playing at home, where conditions were supposed to favour
all the woes. That first shot covered the pain… relieved the malaise - the team.
temporarily. However, no patient can limp along endlessly without the
root illness being addressed and healed. But wait, I seem to be going Some may say this is the natural way of team progression – peaks and
around in circles – much like the punch-drunk team is. So, let me get troughs. Some may say it’s the political landscape and others will place
back to the link between the survival specialist and cricket. blame – the new management team is a crony-based structure and/ or
not representative of SA demographics. Yes, yes and yes again. Sounds
That session by Quinten Coetzee was way back in 1983 – toward the much like the comments directed at the Springbok Rugby Team and
end on the Flight Engineer’s course I was a privileged member of. The their management structure not too long ago, doesn’t it?
chat was entertaining and well received but I will lie if I can remember
any of the finer details. However, the key of the presentation has stayed So, what happened to turn that team’s performance around? A few
with me ever since – the Will to Survive – that is the key! things, I suspect. However, to my mind the new found vision and a
will to succeed, in spite of the obstacles in the way was the key. That
Survival studies have shown that if you lose that will, you lose the WILL – that was what drove the changes in a relatively short time. On
battle. the other hand – the apparently insurmountable obstacles facing SA
Cricket seems to have drained the team of their will.
Now – let me drift sideways for a moment or ten… and share a few of
the lines about key players that I wrote after the world cup. Yes, I know I recall once reading somewhere about survival situations – where
the player pool was/ is different but this is as illustration of ills that a situation arose after a plane crash. The survivors were all in good
continue… health, with ample supplies. However, when rescue teams eventually
found them, they were all dead – within plain site of everything they
• Batting woes… needed to survive for the week or so that it took for the rescuers to get
o Quinten de Kock went flat – again. Worrying. to their remote location. Then, on the other hand – there was the story
o Aiden Markram just didn’t settle. Forced to play the jo-jo… of a father and his two daughters who made it through months of the
up and down the order, unsure of his role. frozen northern winter with almost no supplies and very little in the
o Only one century between all the batsmen – in all the games? way of shelter. How do you explain the different outcomes?
o Faf du Plessis and the toss, especially in the earlier games
– winning but electing to chase. I won’t appropriate blame because Seems the chances of survival resides in the brain – and not in the
he expected pitches to behave differently – fresh in the morning and availability of external supplies. Seems survival is linked to the will to
getting better for batting later. Well, did they? survive and not the impact of environmental factors. So… where to
• Bowling woes? from now? Wholesale chops – drastic changes?
o Kagiso Rabada, yes… yes, the mighty KG – jaded, tired, over
bowled in the years leading up to the WC – just review his returns. No - no amount of change and additional resources will affect the
Played in all nine games, bowled in eight – 11 wickets at 36, best of performance of a wounded team… until someone finds the switch –
3/56. The underlying issue here is the club over country problem – that switch that can ignite that will again!
allowing players off to the IPL to wear themselves out in the months
before the WC. That will to firstly survive – then to perform, achieve and then to win.
o Our much-vaunted attack force was tame, maybe even
innocuous – as proven by the bowling stats – the spinner and two Note: I am not a pundit – just a follower of the most beautiful game on
allrounders had the best returns. Worrying? the planet.
See more about Quinton Coetzee here https://www.speakersinc.co.za/
No relevance you may say? Sorry – there is. Same type of batting quinton-coetzee-business-strategy/

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