Tour Special South Africa 2012: Ons gaan in die Kaap ... - kon HCVV

Life lessons
JEROEN SMITS
The wait is almost over, and it’s time to find out where you really stand as a team.
You’ve been dominating the Dutch leagues in the last couple of years, but now you
will experience cricket in a totally different culture and in a country where cricket is
one of the main sports.
And what a country! October
1992… it feels like yesterday. As
a 20-year old, it was the first time
to really be away from my parents. To a
country what – to say the least – at that
stage was unstable but as a cricket nation
the top of the world.
Smits catching Tendulkar during CWC 2003
It took me only a few days to settle and
I can now easily say that year made me
not only into a useful cricketer, but the
lessons of life I have learned in those
months made me the person that I am
nowadays. It opened my eyes and it
made me realize there was more in the
world than our safe environment of
Benoordenhout and HCC.
The competition for places in a team is
totally different to us, mainly because of
the amount of talented players in South
Africa. You only get one chance and
probably that’s not only the case in
cricket. When I played a full South
African summer in its premier league with
reasonable successes, it gave me enough
confidence and belief to try to reach the
next level.
Not just for that reason it was fantastic to
return in 2003 for the big Cricket World
Cup and to catch up with old friends. The
dedication, hospitality, friendliness and
above all the great spirit from all the South
Africans is something I will never forget.
I sincerely hope you will all experience the
same as I experienced in 1992 and most
of you will return to ‘SA’ in 2022 for another
Cricket World Cup. It’s time now for
all of you to enjoy every minute and look
back on this trip as the best time of your
lifes. I am sure you will all benefit from it!
December 2011 TOUR SPECIAL SOUTH AFRICA
5