Robin Peterson foresees that South African cricket will benefit from his title winning coaching stint in the MLC and reckons that Dewald Brevis has the skillset to go to the 50-over Cup in October.
South African coaches have made a name for themselves in T20 franchise cricket around the world and now Peterson has added his name to the list of coaches who have what it takes to build title-winning environments.
Peterson’s Mumbai Indians New York won the inaugural edition of the MLC in the United States with a squad that included Kagiso Rabada and Brevis.
Peterson told Independent Media that all the experience he gained during his time in America is going to benefit SA cricket and his Gqeberha-based Warriors outfit.
“Cricket is changing at the moment. If you’re not prepared to be in these types of environments as a coach, you’ll be behind the eight ball,” said Peterson.
“I love what I do at the Warriors. If you ask any players at the Warriors they will tell you that my commitment to their progress and the progress of the province is still intact.
“At some point as a coach you have to spread your wings, learn and get out of your comfort zone and put yourself in pressurised situations and challenge yourself.
“Working with all these guys like Nicholas Pooran and Rabada, all that knowledge I’m bringing back to the Warriors. We can’t have that old mindset anymore, we have to catch up with the world and where the game is going.
“If we want coaches in South Africa to get a complete image of where the game is headed, then provinces will have to allow the coaches to go to these tournaments if opportunities come up.
“I’m fully committed, my players know what is required at the Warriors. Players will now know that their head coach is out there gaining knowledge and that if they start showing progress and they start performing at that level, they know they have a chance.”
The Warriors have thrived under Peterson especially in first-class cricket, but they are yet to win a title.
Last season, they finished second on the log in the 4-Day Series after sitting top of the table for the majority of the season.
The campaign with MI New York last month helped Peterson understand where he and his Warriors team fell short in terms of finishing tournaments well.
“The biggest learning for me in the US was managing a campaign with success,” said Peterson.
“We’ve been so close so many times and I think I’ve learnt from the Warriors. I’ve learnt a lot there in terms of how to create a thriving environment in a short space of time.
“How to stay calm and how to manage superstars because we had the likes of Rashid Khan, Tim David and all these superstars.
“You’re learning how to manage a big support staff that Mumbai has and just making sure everybody is adding value.
“This is something that I know for a fact will not only benefit the Warriors, but the coaches around the country as well because we will talk about this.”
One of the superstars in Peterson’s MI New York squad was the young Brevis.
The youngster’s name has been added in the Cup conversation as Temba Bavuma and coach Rob Walter are set to announce their 15-man Cup squad and three traveling reserves in early September.
“Dewald’s talent is unparalleled,” said Peterson.
“He basically won that eliminator (in the MLC) for us. You can now see the character is starting to develop alongside his talent. The closer those two merges, then we’re going to get a special player.
“Can he go to the Cup? Of course, I think he can. Guys don’t necessarily have to play a lot of cricket before going there.
“I mean we’re talking about a gifted cricketer who can field, can bowl leg spin and has the power game to play spin in Indian conditions as well.”
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