Former Proteas batsman Ashwell Prince says it was nice to see the “real” Kyle Verreynne during the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch.
Having scored just 108 runs in his first seven Test innings at an average of 15.42, Verreynne struck an unbeaten 136 that helped South Africa win the match by 198 runs and draw the series 1-1.
Prince, who coached the wicketkeeper-batsman at the Cape Cobras, believes it signals big things to come.
“He’s one of those guys who the performance doesn’t only come when the table is laid out,” Prince told Sport24. “He stands up in difficult situations, and that speaks a lot about his character and his temperament.
“He’s definitely got the talent, but the talent only gets you to the stage. You need a little more than just talent to make it a successful journey. And I believe this will be the start of that successful journey.
“The way Kyle played was precisely how he likes to play. He’s a free-scoring batsman, he likes to attack, and he played in a fashion that best describes his way of playing.
“Most of the time in international cricket, you want to be true to yourself, especially when you’re new to it.
“Sometimes that can be hard because you think, just because it’s a Test, you’ve got to block and leave so many balls. Yes, of course, those are important skills to have – being tight and being selective with your attacking strokes – but Kyle is an attacking batsman by nature.
“At times, he will be required to play in a different way, but it was nice to see the real Kyle in this innings.”
