Daryll Cullinan

Dhaka: Nowadays, they don’t produce many batsmen like Daryll Cullinan (4,554 runs in Tests and 3,860 in ODIs) and cricket, really, is poorer for that. The South African stalwart, who is in Bangladesh for TV duty, spoke to The Telegraph during the day off on Friday. His last appearance for the Proteas was in 2001.

The following are excerpts

On captain Graeme Smith and coach Mickey Arthur getting two-year extensions

It’s a good move... Mickey, in particular, has strong views about taking South African cricket forward and it wouldn’t have been proper to make a change at this point in time... Graeme, I believe, has done a lot too... More important, he has the respect and support of the dressing room... He has grown in the job and is certainly a far better captain today than when he got appointed four years ago... His style of play can attract criticism, but Graeme likes to lead from the front.

On South Africa always faltering on the biggest stage, the World Cup

(Laughs) It’s an issue and needs to be addressed... We’ve got to be smarter and there has to be more out of the box thinking... Basically, it’s a World Cup-specific problem.

On what went wrong in the last World Cup

We struggled with a pretty one-dimensional attack... Then, on the big day (semi-final versus Australia), our strategy was wrong... Instead of going for the jugular, we should have played normal cricket. We’ve got to be flexible in our thinking and flexible with strategy... Losing to Bangladesh in the Super 8 didn’t do us any good. (After a pause) I, at least, kept waiting for Australia to have a bad day. They didn’t have one! They just kept improving and, in the final, raised their game to a fantastic level.

On whether the Australians play that much harder against South Africa

They do see us as strong competitors...

On whether the South African team which played the 1999 World Cup remains the best ever fielded in ODIs

I suppose so... That’s what players who played then and now, for example Shaun (Pollock) and (Jacques) Kallis, feel... I was privileged to have been part of that team... In fact, for three-four years then, our one-day cricket was outstanding.

On his thoughts before the last World Cup got underway

Because of the conditions in the West Indies, I’d expected an India-Sri Lanka final. Well, India didn’t even get past the first stage...

On the top lesson teams need to learn from the World Cup

That one-day cricket is now a power game... You need big hitters... Also, that there has to be more athleticism in the field... The pace is getting quicker and the better teams are going to adjust and adapt. It’s a young man’s game.

On the way forward for South Africa

I understand there will now be a specialist batting coach and the bowling coach (Vincent Barnes) could be changed... Our players need to get tougher in the mind... We also need to look at spin-options.

On whether having a specific number of non-Whites in the squad and in the XI is an impediment

I don’t think so... Blacks are emerging as talented cricketers and, so, it’s not hurting us... What we need to do is prepare better and become stronger mentally... Some of our players struggle to find their feet despite being around in international cricket for a couple of years. That’s not acceptable... Players need to settle down within ten matches. If they don’t, they ought not to be selected. The Australians never take time to find their feet.

On having worked under the late Bob Woolmer

It was a wonderful period... Bob endeared himself to the players... I never saw him lose his cool... Get angry... Bob was a gentleman... As a coach, he was always looking to innovate and many of the things he started are being followed worldwide.

On his last interaction with Woolmer

During Pakistan’s tour of South Africa earlier this year... I found he was under stress and, obviously, was frustrated with the way some things were going. I don’t think his role as Pakistan’s coach ran the way he would have liked... It wasn’t an easy job as he had to keep dealing with issues... I hope the murder mystery gets solved... It must not remain a mystery.

Finally, on the one Woolmer-related memory which comes to mind instantly

(Pauses) It was on my first tour of Pakistan, in the mid-Nineties... We were discussing cover drives in his hotel room... I think it was in Lahore... Suddenly, Bob got up and said ‘let’s sort it out right now’... So, we went to the car park, if I recall correctly, and he began explaining how to execute the perfect cover drive! It was amazing... Bob’s the one who taught us to play both the conventional and the reverse sweep... I played it only once, against (Muttiah Muralidharan) Murali, and ended up with stitches on my upper lip... I’m going to die with this Woolmer-scar!