South African pacer Duanne Olivier believes that he is now a more mature and complete bowler, as he is all set to make his comeback into the South African team in the opening Boxing Day Test of the upcoming three-match Test series against India in Centurion on Sunday (December 26).
Anrich Nortje's injury has opened the door for Olivier, as he is likely to be named in South Africa's XI for the first Test against India in Centurion. He last played a Test match against Sri Lanka in February 2019.
The 29-year-old revealed that he was confident that he would never get a chance to play for South Africa again when he signed a three-year Kolpak deal with Yorkshire in February 2019.
As the Kolpak era has now ended after the Brexit, Olivier – who has taken 48 wickets at 19.25 in 10 Tests so far, has returned to the South African fold and is likely to play in the Boxing Day Test against India, but admitted his nervousness.
Olivier told reporters: “I am going to ask if I can get a new one (cap), if I am playing. Otherwise, I will have to break the frame. It’s a huge one, with one of my t-shirts. I am more mature and a bit more grown-up. And from a cricketing point of view, I do genuinely believe I am different.”
He admitted to having butterflies in his stomach just thinking about Proteas return.
He added, “I am a nervous person when it comes to playing. Wherever I play I am always nervous. If it's my first over, I am very nervous. I'll have a different feeling this time. It will be different feelings. Maybe it might be similar to a debut because I haven't played for three years. It will be interesting to see what the nerves will be like but I'm sure, if I am selected to play, I think my nerves will be shot through the roof.”
Olivier on how his Kolpak stint aided his transformation as a cricketer, Olivier said: “The UK has improved me massively. I like to bowl short and South African lengths. You can’t always do that there, otherwise, you will go for runs everywhere. My focus was to go fuller and keep the intensity and there were times in the first season when it came out a bit floaty. In South Africa, 5 to 6 meters are the most effective areas. In UK it is perhaps 4 to 5 meters.”
On the upcoming Tests series against India, the pacer said: “It's massive series. They (India) haven't won here, so they want to come and win here and for us, we don't want that to happen.”
Olivier further said that the India series is the biggest one for him personally to make a statement and said that he is excited to bowl to Virat Kohli in the home series.
He added, “For me, it's probably the biggest series I will play so, if selected, there will be those pressures. We're playing against world-class players but at the same time, it's an exciting challenge.”
He concluded, “Personally, when I have bowl to Kohli, it will be tough, but exciting. It will be tough, but it's exciting. We'll be bowling to probably the top four batters in the world. For me, it’s like making a statement to them. We are here to compete and we are not just going to roll over. For me, that's very important: throwing the first punch, to know that you are here, you are present.”
(With ESPNCricinfo Inputs)
