by Abhai Sawkar Looking back at the 2019-20 domestic season, we’ve seen quite a few success stories: some of which have happened in a relatively short space of time, while others have been characterized by peaks and valleys along the journey. Diego Rosier, the 25-year-old batsman who recently received a contract with the Momentum Multiply Titans, has had his share of challenges over the course of his domestic career. It was a bright beginning during his early days - he made his first-class debut in 2010 for Griqualand West when he was just 16 years old. Two years later, he was part of the South Africa squad for the 2012 ICC Under-19 World Cup down under, with future Proteas like Quinton de Kock and Theunis de Bruyn. Rosier played four games in the middle order, and South Africa would finish as semifinalists. A year later, Rosier took charge of the Under-19 side, and led a team of richly talented stars. His Under-19 highlight was securing a series whitewash against England at home in February 2013. At the time he was a batting allrounder who often came at first drop and bowled some handy legspin, and since then his batting has been the center of his focus. “I’ve actually played for quite a few years for South Africa U19. For me, two special moments from my Under-19 career were being involved in the World Cup, which was held in Australia in 2012. We made it to the semis but we were undefeated in the group stage. My favorite moment was captaining the Under-19 side in my last year. We played England and drew the Youth Test series 1-1 and then we beat them in the ODI series 5-0.” The Kimberley native’s laudable U19 captaincy credentials and bright potential earned him a franchise deal with the Knights, his home team. Having just arrived at the franchise circuit, the initiation was understandably tricky early on. During the 2014-15 season, his second, he developed into a reliable finisher in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge. Sadly, he was in search of the much-needed consistency in 50-over cricket, and he wasn’t a first-choice pick in the 4-day tournament either. Rosier remained on the fringes of the side for much of the rest of his first franchise tenure, and his fourth season was his last for the Knights. He made an attempt to re-enter via switching provincial teams to Free State, and he did earn a couple of franchise games towards the end of the 2017-18 season. However, things didn’t go as planned and it was time to reboot. “The Knights contracted me straight out of school, so that was in 2013. I played for the Knights for four seasons and then I lost my contract. And then I decided to stay there for one more season - I left Northern Cape and signed with Free State in the hopes of competing for more chances at franchise cricket. I had an okay season, and I got a call-up back into the sides and played a couple of one-day games and a 4-day game towards the end of the season.” Without a franchise contract and back in the semi-professional scene, it was time for Rosier to start from scratch. So far, he had played for Griqualand West, Free State, and Northern Cape, and one of his coaches was instrumental in helping the youngster rebuild his confidence and pick up from where he’d left off. There comes a time when decision making skills are put to the test, and Rosier opted to relocate to northern Gauteng and take up a new contract with Northerns. It definitely was uncharted territory, but he was named captain of his new team, and leadership was something he was already quite accustomed to. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t offered a new contract and JP Triegaardt, who was my coach at Northern Cape, recently moved to Northerns and he was keen on bringing me over there on a semi-pro deal. He promised me the captaincy, so it was a good change for me in the sense of getting out of my comfort zone and entering a new environment and seeing what it had to offer me. I came to Northerns on a two-year semi-pro deal. Initially I didn’t foresee myself playing franchise cricket anytime soon because of the quality players they had. I wasn’t downplaying my capabilities but was just being realistic given the international players that are here. I was planning on competing to play franchise cricket and fortunately last season I did well and got a call-up for the Titans. And then I found myself back on the radar in the franchise scene. I’ve signed my first contract with the Titans for the upcoming 2020-21 season.” In the beginning he didn’t expect to immediately end up a mainstay, but more importantly, there was the drive to succeed. While it might have been disappointing to leave his home team, Rosier emphasizes that self-belief is one of the key factors that can take you through a testing predicament. In fact, the inexorable pursuit of another opening at the highest level has been pivotal to achieving his revitalized comeback. “My motivation is my love for the game and my passion drives me to do what I do. In difficult situations I like to back my work ethic - I constantly work hard on my game as well as my physical fitness to give myself the best chance that I can. Whenever times are tough, I trust my preparation and my desire to improve, since hard work will eventually pay off. You’re not guaranteed when it’ll happen, but how you go about your business and how well-prepared you are both in your control. And that gives me clarity on what has happened or what might happen in these circumstances.” Rosier shone in the 2018-19 Provincial One-Day Challenge, racking up 480 runs, averaging close to 70. The return to consistency saw him get called up late in the season to play for the Titans in the CSA T20 Challenge. Much of the event might’ve been affected due to inclement weather, but Rosier scored 177 runs in the 5 games he played. His hunger to learn from more experienced players in Theunis de Bruyn, Farhaan Behardien, and Henry Davids, to name a few, has helped steadily improve his game. “The past season we’ve had with Northerns has been really good. We finished second in both our one-day and three-day groups. Unfortunately with the coronavirus around, we weren’t able to complete this season since we had one more game to go. We would’ve been able to play two finals each if results went our way. I got an opportunity to play in the Momentum One Day Cup [for the Titans] and even though I played just three games, I managed to score my first franchise century after all these years. It felt nice and fitting that it happened back at home in Kimberley. The last few domestic seasons have been nice, especially amateur cricket and I’ve definitely put up my hand in performances when I got a call-up to play for the Titans. In amateur cricket, we played in two domestic finals last season, in one-day and three-day formats. This year we competed again for both trophies. Making the move up here has been very beneficial for me and my development.” Despite the encouraging returns in the CSA T20 Challenge, the Titans didn’t have a contract on offer for the 2019-20 season for Rosier. And that meant only one thing - continue to put in the hard yards for Northerns. Another successful season with strong performances in 3-day cricket brought forth another opportunity for the Titans late in the season. Rosier was aware that it was time to capitalize, since the Titans were about halfway through the group stage. He scored 10 in his first game against the Dolphins, but the very next game is one for him to cherish for more reasons than one. Rosier scored a solid 108-ball 112, which was his first ever century in franchise cricket. In addition, this came against his former team at his hometown, Kimberley. It’s an interesting coincidence since that’s where he’s learned much of his cricket and moved up the ranks. This knock has marked a water in his career, as it’s also propelled him to his first confirmed contract with the Titans for the upcoming 2020-21 season. While that’s the major achievement after the early struggles, Rosier has set his sights on ensuring he becomes a lynchpin in the Titans top order. He’s approaching his best years, and there’s no doubt that the next few seasons are very crucial. “My goals for the upcoming season are, first and foremost, cementing my spot in the Titans side regardless of when the national players come down and I’m the guy missing out. Becoming a regular in the franchise setup and giving myself an opportunity to showcase my skill at the higher level and display my potential to become a possible Protea within a couple of seasons. We all have a good idea on what we need to do and how, and I’d say that drives me to reach any small targets that I set out closer to the season.” Continuing the discussion on the 2020-21 season, there have been a few changes on how the domestic season will go about. On the other hand, the franchise setup has remained static, with six teams. Throughout his career, Rosier has considerable experiences playing in the provincial league, and he can testify that there’s a multitude of young players eagerly waiting for their chances to stake a claim for higher honors. One possible solution could be adding a few more franchise teams for accommodation. It’s no secret that there are multiple factors affecting domestic cricket, and it’s all part and parcel of the game in the country. That being said, Rosier is very confident about South Africa’s sizable talent pool and bouncebackability. “For me, with the release of the new domestic structure, I think it’s in a good place with lots of talented youngsters coming through. I think the amateur setup is essential in producing good franchise-level cricketers. But honestly I feel that there are more franchise cricketers but because there are relatively fewer teams, not all of them have a chance given how tough the system is. Yeah, we do face challenges outside of playing the game from a political front. Ideally, if there are more franchise teams, maybe 8 or 12, that would be fitting in the same structure. I feel there’s lots of depth in our country when it comes to cricketers but less top-level teams means less opportunities, and that means that our depth is being tested. Having been on the domestic circuit for the last 10 years, I can say that there are a lot of quality cricketers that are capable of competing at franchise level.” While he made important progress this season, Rosier didn’t get drafted for the 2019 Mzansi Super League. With the T20 World Cup scheduled for later this year, in hindsight, it would’ve been fortunate to get a chance to play for a team, since the recent Proteas T20I debutants have all earned a chance after excelling in the MSL. Compared to last year, the MSL has continued to improve in terms of standard - all the centrally contracted Proteas played the whole tournament and the experience would've been priceless. But recently, there's been a cloud over the MSL's future, especially because Cricket South Africa are looking to cut costs. “Well, the MSL is a tough one since I’m not too sure if it’ll be happening this coming season. It would’ve been a nice experience to take part in either or both seasons because the quality of players that were in the squads regarding international prospects would’ve been very enriching for me and the development of my game not only on-field but off the field as well. So being involved in any of the teams would’ve been beneficial.” Rosier enjoys his cricket, and as of now he feels he plays his best cricket in the shorter formats. He’s known for his positive approach and quick scoring, plus he’s always ready to take on a challenge. Working his way back up to franchise level has reinvigorated his passion for the game and it’s enabled him to do what it takes to amplify his chances for further success. Ultimately, international cricket is the aim, but achieving any goal has to be done methodically. At the same time, he had a pleasant time in the recent 3-day series, which was the early catalyst that paved the way for a resounding return to the Titans. “Right now I’d say that white-ball cricket is my strongest suit, not only because of performances but also the nature of my game. I feel I’m very much a strokeplayer, which I like to express myself. White-ball cricket allows me to do that and the scoreboard gives you an idea of what’s required whether you’re batting first or second. I’ve also enjoyed playing red-ball cricket for the past couple of seasons and that’s because I’ve been enjoying my cricket a lot more recently compared to the end of my career with the Knights. Mentally I’m in a better place and frame of mind, and I think it’s just a cherry on top that I’ve maintained consistency. I’ve always tried my hardest to compete well and win games for my team to the best of my ability.” Franchise cricket often rewards the persevering players but then again, it’s a perquisite, too, because the margin for error is little to none. Rosier’s career had an eventful start prior to his professional debut for the Knights, but the adjustment and maintenance of consistency over a longer period of time isn’t always easy. The layover interval of provincial cricket has served as a great means of preparation, and he’s come back a much stronger player. Difficulty is an integral part of the process of achievement and excellence, and Rosier’s road to redemption is very influential.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorsAkseli Pitkänen Archives
September 2020
Categories |