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Fast bowler Lutho Sipamla hoping to use presence of former Proteas in the SA coaching staff to his benefit

Lutho Sipamla bowls during the Pink Day ODI match between the Proteas and England at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on February 9 2020.
Lutho Sipamla bowls during the Pink Day ODI match between the Proteas and England at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on February 9 2020.
Image: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Fast bowler Lutho Sipamla has said having former Proteas in the national team’s coaching staff will help young and upcoming players like him adjust well to the demands of being an international cricketer.

The Proteas technical staff is made up almost entirely of former players.

Former wicketkeeper Mark Bouncher is the team director‚ former bowler Charl Langeveldt is bowling coach‚ Justin Ontong serves as the fielding coach with batting legend Jacques Kallis the batting consultant.

“It’s kind of awesome having those kind of people in our team. (It is) people who have played for the Proteas‚ people who have been in our shoes.

"They have walked the talk and know what it takes to be a good international player‚” said Sipamla‚ who made his Proteas debut in February 2019 during a Twenty20 International against Pakistan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

“You kind of relate to them a little bit because they have experienced it themselves.

“When you ask them questions on situations they have been in it is kind of easy for them to explain it and get through to us because they were actually doing the craft that we are doing out there on the field playing‚” said the Grey High School old boy.

Sipamla‚ who joined the Lions from the Warriors ahead of the new season‚ was part of the Proteas limited overs team during the summer.

He played in three ODI matches in the drawn series against England and another against Australia‚ who the Proteas whitewashed 3-0 with a young squad.

“We had a good camping against England and against Australia where we won the series. It was very wonderful experience and a great time for me.

“It was a very young side and young squad where everyone was working very hard towards the same goal.

“We managed to play well together as a unit and gelled quite nicely. So it was really a good experience.

“The Australian series was something special. I felt like everyone knew what to do in that series.

“It was a young squad but everyone worked hard and everyone made sure they knew their roles and everyone executed what they had to execute and what the team needed them to execute.

“So it was a really good campaign where everyone grew as an individual and as a player. It was just something special and it was great to be part of.”