Tyron Henderson was one of the best Twenty20 players during his playing days, especially the period from 2008 to 2009 but did not get many opportunities in the Indian Premier League.
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You don’t dominate him, he does! He’s powerful and can muscle anything thrown. While such lines currently fit the description for AB de Villiers, he was certainly not the first cricketer or even the first South African to wreak such havoc. A fellow Proteas cricketer had been making bowlers dance to his tunes ages ago, leaving the opposition startled with his individual brilliance. The player being referred to is none other than all-rounder Tyron Henderson.
Henderson is considered one of the best cricketers in the T20 format, emerging as a gem of a performer for almost every team. While De Villiers is more popular for his heroics with the bat, Henderson was a star in all departments. The all-rounder has turned 46. However, the fire within prevents him from accepting that. This was evident from his confident candidature for the role of a finisher with Kolkata Knight Riders, having watched them choke recently against Mumbai Indians in an IPL 2021 league encounter. Andre Russell might well be nervously looking over his shoulder.
This devil-may-care attitude was one of the prime reasons behind Middlesex’s historic triumph in the 2008 Twenty20 Cup, with the club winning a major trophy after 15 years. Henderson smashed 281 runs in 11 innings, at a strike rate of 180.12. He further finished second among the competition’s wicket-takers, making his presence felt when it mattered the most.
The all-rounder was the star performer in the semi-final against Durham. Henderson helped restrict the opponents to 138, finishing with figures of 2/31 which included a fine performance in the death overs. However, the all-rounder was not yet done. He smashed a 19-ball half-century, which was the joint-second fastest in the T20 format on English soil at that point. Henderson finished with an unbeaten 21-ball 59, in an innings comprising of seven sixes.
This was followed by another solid all-round performance in the final against defending champions Kent. The South African accumulated 43 runs, helping Middlesex post a total of 187. He was as effective with the ball, bowling two dots off the final three deliveries of the game, with just six needed. Henderson bowled a yorker off the final delivery. Justin Kemp, who was on strike, hit the ball straight back to him. Kemp attempted to complete a run, handing an opportunity for the all-rounder to execute a run-out, much to the happiness of his teammates who celebrated wildly.
Henderson has a smile while recollecting these memories. “I got an opportunity to play for Kent as a specialist limited-overs player in 2006. I then joined Middlesex in 2007, before hitting the indoor nets at the team’s academy on an almost daily basis from 2008. There was a luck factor involved, as I got an opportunity to work hard on my game with the other players away for first-class cricket. Coach Toby Radford and skipper Ed Joyce had full confidence in me, backing me to the hilt. There was no pressure. I padded up along with the openers, and would simply walk out based on requirements. Certainly elated to see the performances delivered with great regularity,” he said in an exclusive chat to sportslumo.com.
“Everything worked out in the most beautiful manner possible. It was definitely satisfying to get a triumph over Kent, who had enjoyed success against me previously in the round-robin game. The Kent batsmen tried to target me, in order to put me under a bit of pressure. However, I remained calm, simply focussing on the next delivery. With 16 runs to defend off the last over, it was all about bowling in the right areas and according to the field set. Always said that if you are a half-decent bowler, you should be able to defend 16 runs off the final over. Just a case of implementing the basics. Thankfully, it all worked out and we had a great party following the win. Daniel Radcliffe came over, which was certainly one of the highlights of the evening,” adds Henderson with a grin.
The all-rounder’s exploits in the shortest format during the 2008 Twenty20 Cup, drew a lot of appreciation from critics and fans. In a format that had recently been launched, there was a fierce race to identify players who could deliver the goods. The inaugural edition of IPL had witnessed inconsistent performances from orthodox players, habituated to operating according to the requirements of ODI cricket. Henderson’s performances were bound to draw interest, but the extent could certainly not have been imagined.
“I got in touch with Murali Karthik who was a former teammate, for information about registering in the auction. The communication was positive, with me being highlighted as the ideal candidate. This was followed by my addition to the list. All I wanted was an opportunity to feature in the edition, but the bidding war that took place for my services left me ecstatic, to say the least,” says the all-rounder.
Henderson had set a base price of USD 100,000 going into the auction. However, the sum he eventually got purchased for by Rajasthan Royals, was a whopping USD 650,000. The all-rounder was signed for more than six times his starting price, with the Royals battling it out against Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians till the very end. Deccan seemed to have secured Henderson’s services for USD 600,000, before the Royals snapped him in what was an exciting bidding war.
“Mumbai Indians had shown interest before the auction, but nothing concrete. My family did not have any expectations either, because player auctions can be quite uncertain. I was following the auction online along with my wife. The moment I received the opening bid, I was delighted as that meant an opportunity. However, things turned “hot” soon enough. Who would say no to that kind of money? Getting a chance to play quality cricket with some of the best in the business was certainly something I looked forward to,” states Henderson with a laugh.
The all-rounder would have loved to play every game for the Rajasthan-based franchise, considering the knowledge of local conditions with the IPL being held in South Africa.
“I would have loved to feature in every game, considering my experience of local conditions having grown up in South Africa and played all my life down there. There are different variations in every pitch, which needs proper knowledge and understanding. The main objective was to put my gifts to good effect, emerging as a match-winner for the Royals.”
However, Henderson did not have the best of campaigns with the Rajasthan-based franchise, courtesy a certain Mr Warne. The all-rounder got an opportunity in only two games. He was largely relegated to the bench, due to some mysterious reason that made Warne sideline him, despite being labelled as a “good” signing by the legendary cricketer.
“When I reached the camp, I realised that Warne would be the be-all and end-all. What he said was law, and that’s how it was supposed to remain. It still baffles me over why I was not provided a proper run, having followed all instructions. Yes, he has got a fantastic cricketing brain on him, but I wish he had given me a chance to contribute more to the Royals back then,” states the all-rounder
“I know co-owner Manoj Badale was a big fan, having watched my performance in the final for Middlesex. However, I did not deem it fit enough to include him in a discussion for obtaining opportunities, in order to avoid disrupting the team atmosphere. Maybe Warne was annoyed at the fact that I was the poster boy for Moneyball advocated by Badale, rather than being his personal pick,” adds Henderson.
Warne criticised the all-rounder in his autobiography: No Spin, slamming the decision to sign him. Here is an excerpt:
“Manoj had seen him smash it in the English T20, loved his stats and signed him. Before the start of the second IPL season in 2009, Tyron came out to bat in a practice game for us and, first ball, went for an almighty six – he swung so hard he threw himself off his feet, missed it, of course, and lost his middle stump.
“‘Snapey [sports psychologist Jeremy Snape] asked him later what was going through his head. “Oh, mate,’ he answered, ‘I get so nervous, I just swing at the first ball.’. Snapey said, ‘Well, I tell you what you should do, Tyron. Take centre, face up to your first ball and play it properly.’.
Henderson vaguely remembers this conversation, terming his desire to swing from the first ball as a way of getting focussed.
“Swinging from the first ball settles the nerves and gets me focussed. I am not nervous. Warne can say whatever he wants. It does not worry me,” reads the strong rebuttal from the all-rounder.
However, Henderson enjoys a desire to also take into account the positive aspects from his stint with the Royals. He is the first South African bowler to pick a wicket for the Rajasthan-based franchise.
“I dismissed Kevin Pietersen in the opening game against RCB. Always nice to dismiss a destructive batsman like him. I also shared some fun memories with Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja was extremely quick between the wickets, leaving a 34-year-old like me in a spot of bother. Yusuf accompanied me on a team trip to Shamwari Private Game Reserve after a game in Port Elizabeth. We were travelling in a truck. I knew it was going to be chilly, so I wore a jacket as well as the franchise tracksuit. Yusuf simply wore the tracksuit. At the end of the journey, he was completely wrapped up in four blankets, with Yusuf’s eyes the only thing visible.”
Henderson nearly signed for Deccan Chargers, who went on to win the IPL under Adam Gilchrist.
“I would have been given more chances to show what I could actually do. Interestingly, I met the franchise owners before a game where I discussed how lovely it would have been to feature for the Chargers,” he says with a laugh.
Henderson was named South Africa’s top domestic T20 player for 2004-05. He had more dismissals than Shaun Pollock and Dale Steyn that season. The fast-bowling all-rounder was further regarded as the most successful bowler in the T20 format by 2008. Henderson credits his family genes as well as immense hard work for this success.
“I grew up in Durban next to cricket fields playing the game, rugby and golf. My dad loved playing cricket, with my brother a pretty good cricketer himself. My grandfather and my great uncle played for North Eastern Transvaal. They were all fast-bowlers. Love for bowling fast runs in the blood. I enjoy the talent to whack the ball hard, which makes it a great addition in my arsenal. You need to work hard, if you want to succeed, nothing comes easy,” states the all-rounder.
“Loads of credit should also be given to my coach Richard Pybus, who was the Director of Cricket with Windies and an ex-Pakistan coach. He gave me a wake-up call when needed and motivated me astutely. My wife Alison has also been a constant source of encouragement throughout my career.”
Henderson made his only appearance for South Africa in a T20I against India in December 2006. The all-rounder has a very interesting story to share when it comes to his selection for that game.
“I was watching a movie on Monday, with the game on Friday. A friend from England called me, congratulating me on my selection for the T20I. I was extremely confused, having received no official communication from Cricket South Africa (CSA). The same message was communicated by another friend, leaving me amazed. The only official communication which I received was from a secretary of the CSA on Wednesday, who assumed that I had received a call from Haroon Lorgat, the then national convenor of selectors. My denial left her amazed, followed by a query over the size of my jersey. This is the first and last interaction I have had with the CSA,” he said.
“I could have been a great asset for South Africa if given more opportunities, in the T20 format as well as ODIs. It was shocking to be overlooked by Mickey Arthur during his stint as coach of South Africa, having performed well under him in the past. Arthur had confirmed to a reporter on Sky Sports that he would give me a call, over an opportunity in the national team following Middlesex’s triumph. I am still waiting for that call. CSA continues to be the mess it was,” added Henderson.
The 46-year-old enjoys the nickname “Blacksmith” because of his ability to smash the ball, bearing strength akin to that required by a professional.
“I looked to entertain the audience. Whatever happened would happen quickly, even at the cost of my wicket. I never looked to waste balls and maintained a desire to make a difference. My journey which started from the Natal academy side, steadily moving down to East London and ultimately the IPL has been an incredible one. Life after retirement has also been wonderful. Alison and I own a small farm in East London, along with an award-winning restaurant called: The Cricketer. COVID has hit the hospitality industry hard, but we shall overcome it.”
Henderson’s son Chad is an off-spinner and a top-order batsman. The former cricketer holds his son in high regard, highlighting him as a potential buy in the upcoming editions of IPL.
“My son is a far better batter than I was. Maybe one day, he will bowl a bit quicker. He is just 15. Chad has got more patience and desire to apply himself than I ever did. However, he should not try to emulate me as I had a gift with my ability to smash the ball. Not everyone can swing from the first ball. I certainly hope to see Chad make his mark in the IPL in the coming years. It was fantastic to see what Chris Morris went for this year. Well done to him. However, it could get difficult for Chad, considering the open preference for Australian cricketers,” concluded the all-rounder.
