Joburg Super Kings aim to be consistent, positive in T20

Joburg Super Kings (JSK) coach Stephen Fleming says they intend on playing an all-out attacking brand of cricket, keeping up with the standard of modern T20 cricket.

JSK, who are owned by the owners of Indian Premier League outfit Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will begin their Betway SA20 campaign tomorrow when they take on the Durban Super Giants at Kingsmead (5.30pm). 

The CSK franchise has won the IPL four times and they have every intention to win the inaugural SA20 based on how they have deployed long-time mentor Fleming to coach their Johannesburg-based team. Faf du Plessis, who won the IPL with CSK, will lead JSK this season. He will be flanked by the likes of Reeza Hendricks, Janneman Malan and West Indian Alzarri Joseph. 

There’s an air of excitement around the team and Fleming has promised that they will match that with a positive brand of cricket, especially at their home ground – the Wanderers. 

“We have a very skillful group of guys, how we want to play cricket will reflect the way the game is going, which is fast. There will be some risks at some stages,” said Fleming during a press conference at the Wanderers. 

“The key word is consistency, and T20 is a little bit inconsistent, you have good days and bad days. So, if we can be consistent with a good brand, a positive brand will have to attract people to the ground.

“When you start a new competition, it’s difficult to make big promises, but hopefully we will deliver a good product,” he said. 

Asked about the players he has at his disposal, Fleming said he was satisfied with the balance between the local and international players, which keept up with the CSK philosophy.

“We’ve got it all,” said Fleming. 

“We have got local players which is a key part of the Super Kings philosophy; we won the competition (IPL) by local players playing well and international players adding the icing on the cake.

“We have a well-rounded squad, there’s a lot of competition for international players in particular, so we are pleased with the calibre of international players we have, that marries in nicely with the skill sets of the locals,” he said.