IND v SA | We don’t want to invest too much time watching India, says Enoch Nkwe

Following a disastrous campaign in the World Cup under coach Ottis Gibson, the South African cricket board appointed Nkwe to be the man to run the show until they have a clear idea of the way forward. In what must have been a busy month with a lot of restructuring work going within the team, Nkwe has allotted all the analysis part to the performance analyst. India head into the home series high on confidence, having dominated the West Indies in all three formats in the contest played in the Caribbean. 

“To be honest I have not had enough time to watch the opposition. I have asked the performance analyst‚ Prasanna Agoram‚ to look into it. We also don’t want to invest too much time on the opposition. We need to find our own way for the four years that are coming and hopefully, I will form part of that plan going forward. We want to come back from India with some sort of blueprint for whoever will be taking over on a full-time basis to be in a good position,” Nkwe told PTI ahead of his team’s departure to India.

While the plans are clear cut for the Proteas, Nkwe admitted that he has a lot of sleepless nights for the good of the team in preparing for the challenge against the Men in Blue.

“A lot has been happening behind the scenes to find the best formula of going to India. It is sleepless nights but for a good cause and it is also an exciting challenge for everyone. It has been long hours‚ communicating with the support staff and the organisation who have been helpful to ensure that I deliver the right things for the team‚” he said.

“There has been a serious amount of work and we are slowly getting there in terms of building up to the tour. We have been working hard enough to ensure that by the time we come together as a group, we are able to create clear direction and structure,” Nkwe continued.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has roped in former all-rounder Lance Klusener as batting consultant for the T20 series to work alongside Nkwe.

“He has plenty of experience, he is someone who embraces and likes his way of dealing with white-ball cricket. He has been around the world, not just from a playing perspective‚ but he has been involved in T20 leagues around the world over the last few years,” he said.

“I see him making a serious impact and sharing some of the ideas that have worked for him. He is excited with the journey that lies ahead for this team in India and we will unpack with him as we go along. He will add a lot of value for us in the coming months and that is good for us,” Nkwe added.