Dillon du Preez had an impact for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2009 Indian Premier League, but he was soon sidelined despite scripting history.
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Two runs conceded in two overs. Three wickets scalped including those of Sachin Tendulkar and Ajinkya Rahane. Pretty impressive figures right. These numbers are from a historic spell recorded by the ‘golden arm’ Dillon du Preez. It was during an IPL 2009 league encounter between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Du Preez was brought into the attack in the fourth over on his IPL debut, with MI openers Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya looking quite comfortable.
The South African all-rounder struck almost immediately, accounting for the dismissals of Tendulkar and the new batsman Ajinkya Rahane off two consecutive deliveries. Du Preez hit the right areas, bowling a maiden over. The 39-year-old is the first and only bowler to record a double-wicket maiden in his opening over on debut in the IPL. Du Preez followed that up with the dismissal of JP Duminy, setting the stage for a comfortable RCB win.
All the more impressive considering he received confirmation over a spot in the lineup after the team reached the stadium. Du Preez had not slept a wink the night before. The South African had to request a security guard to go back to his hotel room and get the playing shirts. However, it was all worth it.
“Jennings told me the night before the game, that there was a chance I could play against MI. I could not get any sleep, due to the nervousness of making my IPL debut. However, it all worked out in the most beautiful manner. When Sachin edged the ball, I started running wildly with happiness but found it hard to believe until much later. I mean, that guy invented cricket! The other two dismissals also left me quite ecstatic. The game further witnessed the first time I saw my wife Nicola after a month,” he said in an exclusive chat to sportslumo.com.
Nicola considers the game against MI, as one of the most beautiful experiences in her journey as Dillon’s better half.
“Sitting in the stand and watching Dillon make his IPL debut, certainly counts as one of the most incredible moments. I did not want to sit in the box with the rest of the team’s affiliates, I wanted to experience the IPL as a cricket lover. They arranged two bodyguards to accompany me during the match (not sure why, because nobody would have ever known who I was). When he came up to bowl, my stomach was in knots. The pressure I felt was immense. He went and took two back-to-back wickets in his first over, including that of Sachin. From there on I was already the proudest wife ever, it didn’t even matter how the game played out,” she states with a smile.
While Du Preez carved a reputation of being a game-changer on the back of that historic performance, the journey till that point was full of hardships.
One of the strongest setbacks came early in his career and just a week after a major personal boost. Du Preez lost his father at the age of 15 in a car accident, just a few days after making him proud having been selected in the U-17 Free State cricket team.
“My father loved playing all kinds of sports. He used to attend every match of mine, with a little book. That book used to be full of notes, analysing my performances. If I scored 92, he would praise me but also question the inability to score a ton. That developed a desire to push even harder, with the goal of getting that look of fulfilment on his face. My father was supremely happy after my selection in the U-17 side. I wanted to carry on and make him even more proud. However, life hit me hard when least expected. It was heartbreaking and continues to be. The number on my jersey: 26 is dedicated to my father, as his birthday falls on 26th October,” said Du Preez.
The all-rounder struggled to perform in this scenario. However, his mother stepped in seamlessly following the demise, helping the cricketer deal with the loss.
“I could not cope emotionally, which had an impact on my performance. The family was also struggling financially. My mother stepped in despite the challenges, guiding me in all circumstances. She purchased a brand-new kit despite the financial crunch, going to the extent of buying golf clubs when I was in a bad slump just to cheer me up. Having reached a certain age, I can now truly appreciate how special it all was,” states the all-rounder.
While these were some of the personal roadblocks, Du Preez also faced a stern challenge while looking to prove himself. The all-rounder hailed from a non-cricketing school, making it tougher to get noticed.
“I was in the Free State academy for three years. It took me a while to get noticed and get selected in the B-Team, as I belonged to a non-cricketing school. Distinctly remember a match where I picked five wickets and scored 60 runs. However, the coach refused to grant me a spot in the team. I was terribly hurt after going back home, wondering what was possibly needed to get a chance to play the game. I did not want to study, do business, just wanted to play cricket,” he says.
Du Preez looks back at this challenge fondly, terming it as something which helped him develop the necessary mental strength to excel. However, there was another major ‘trial by fire’ waiting in store for the all-rounder. The wrong decision at this stage could well have marked a premature end to his career.
“I earned my first professional contract with Free State in 2003. The club sent players to England, in order to play club cricket. While I was a professional, the weight of responsibilities involved does not sink in early. I was a bit overweight. Gymming involved just doing as much as needed, not that extra bit. I was almost ready to leave for England in 2004 when coach Corrie van Zyl came down to have a conversation, going on to deny permission. It was shocking, having already purchased two tickets for a concert by the rock band U2. Van Zyl asked me to get rid of the tickets, with becoming as fit as a professional the sole focus. If I had complained at that stage, my career might have ended pretty soon. However, I took the transition up as a challenge, and it has certainly been one of the best decisions in my life,” says Du Preez with a grin.
It certainly worked wonders, with the former cricketer going on to accumulate nearly 4,500 runs and 600 wickets, during the course of a career including 92 first-class, 134 List A and 86 T20 matches.
One of Du Preez’s most memorable performances was recorded on his first-class debut for Free State against West Indies in 2003. The all-rounder was one of the top performers finishing with figures of 3/75, which included the important dismissal of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (245). He further chipped in with a half-century.
“Corrie asked me a few days before the match, whether I would be interested in playing against West Indies. While I expressed my enthusiasm asking him not to ask silly questions, my optimism started declining while walking back to the car. Brian Lara smashed a strong shot against my leg, resulting in even further doubt. However, I was happy to make my presence felt from that stage onwards. Amazing experience,” he says with a smile.
Du Preez made only one more appearance for RCB despite his heroic spell. The all-rounder was forced to compromise on his wedding, due to some unexpected changes in the schedule for IPL 2009. The South African received a call from Royal Challengers Bangalore coach Ray Jennings, with the all-rounder asked to arrive in India on 10th April.
When the cricketer requested permission to report on 11th April due to his wedding being scheduled the day before, the RCB coach asked him to get married in India instead. Du Preez advanced the wedding date to 20th March, only to realise later that the edition had been postponed by a couple of weeks, with the tournament shifted to South Africa.
The all-rounder further remained sidelined for IPL 2010, having left Nicola in a state of pregnancy in order to honour his professional obligations. However, Du Preez does not harbour any ill feelings towards the Bangalore-based franchise, with his support firmly behind them for the ongoing IPL 2021.
The South African has enjoyed his fair share of interesting experiences while being a part of RCB, and those are the ones he prefers to remember. The all-rounder was informed about Nicola giving birth to a baby boy in the coming months, while in India for the 2010 edition which made him extremely happy.
Du Preez further shared a few memorable interactions involving his RCB teammates like Virat Kohli, expressing his appreciation for Anil Kumble.
“The team was sitting in a hall, with Jennings silently making his way from one player to the other. He suddenly stopped in front of Kohli, calling him the future captain of the Indian team. While I did not know him well at that stage, it certainly feels wonderful to have witnessed that amazing prophecy. I further feel lucky to have played under the leadership of Kumble. He is extremely calm and composed, in comparison to other captains who struggle to remain cool under pressure. Would certainly consider him and MS Dhoni as the ideal skippers,” he shares.
The South African also revealed some interesting experiences on the field surrounding Shane Warne and Dale Steyn.
“Warne tried to get under my skin by shouting random stuff when I walked out to bat against Rajasthan Royals in an IPL 2009 league encounter. While I initially wondered over the reason behind his rudeness, it was nothing but an unorthodox way to unnerve me. Steyn would get really intense, if he failed to match his high expectations. I remember a match between RCB and Chennai Super Kings where he was smashed for runs by Matthew Hayden, having dominated initially. I had placed a few bottles of water close to the boundary, as part of my responsibilities. They received a hard kick, just a few minutes after Steyn made his way down there,” says Du Preez with a laugh.
The all-rounder represented RCB in the 2010 edition of the Champions League T20, smashing a quick-fire 46 against South Australia and accounting for the key dismissal of MS Dhoni in the semi-final vs CSK. The former cricketer terms Dhoni’s wicket as one he will cherish forever.
Du Preez never received another opportunity in the IPL, which he considers “heartbreaking”.
The South African went on to represent the Uthra Rudras in the 2012 edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League, with Tom Moody the coach of the franchise. Du Preez got a chance to play with Muttiah Muralitharan, who he considers very passionate about the game.
The all-rounder is currently the assistant coach of the South Africa women’s national cricket team, following the conclusion of a glorious career and love affair with the game, which began at the age of 10 after watching a D/N match at a stadium. The national team recently delivered a quality performance in an away tour of India, recording their first-ever T20I series win in India.
Du Preez had words of praise for the Indian team, terming Shafali Verma as a “potential superstar”.
“Shafali is scary. She is quite powerful, despite being so young. She has certainly got a bright future. Expect her to keep smacking the ball to all corners of the ground for the next 10-15 years,” he enthused.
The former cricketer has encouraged emerging players to approach net sessions with purpose, in order to develop their gameplay.
“I could clear the ropes, having faced the quickest of bowlers in the nets. They took no mercy, bowling excellent yorkers and bouncers. Practising with purpose is the way to success. For example: Dean Elgar used to allocate a fixed time to different kinds of skills, covering them extensively rather than indulging in self-pity. That prepared him effectively for going out and succeeding. I have seen young cricketers lacking this clarity in their approach,” he says.
The ex-cricketer further has some advice for those players sidelined by IPL franchises in bio-bubbles, having been a part of a certain number of bubbles himself.
“It can get tough to remain positive when sidelined. However, one should try to practice as much as possible and remain ready to give their 100 percent if handed an opportunity. That’s the best chance of getting another game or a new contract. Things change quickly in the T20 format, so practice with purpose. There is need for teammates to support each other when living in bio-bubbles, with open communication at every stage. Senior players need to take charge and assist the youngsters,” stated the former all-rounder.
Du Preez is a family man to the core and looks to spend as much time as possible with Nicola and son Juan.
“I have always been besotted with Dillon. He is extremely family orientated and brings out the best in everyone. I am in awe of his passion for doing what he loves, his courage to pursue that passion, and finding fulfilment in serving other people,” says Nicola, with some high praise for her husband.
Having played under quite a few coaches, one certainly nurses a desire to understand Du Preez’s approach to coaching.
“You cannot treat every player the same way, considering the difference in personalities. For me, it’s all about getting that balance right. I am very easy-going in my approach. Look to keep the interaction with players focused in the nets. At the same time, I try to set an example with regard to fitness. Training starts early even during the off-season, with supreme focus on going to the gym daily,” he concludes.
Certainly sounds like something Kohli would approve of.
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