
Marco Jansen of Punjab Kings (ANI Photo) NEW DELHI: Marc Jansen’s evolution as a cricketer has been one of the standout stories in the last year and a half. Apart from his impressive cameos with the bat in the order, he has consistently carried the responsibility with the ball for South Africa. He came into his own in the IPL as a bankable player for the Punjab Kings. It has been a remarkable rise for someone who took up cricket as a career at the age of 17 after giving up rugby.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!At the age of 25, Jansen found his calling bowling hard lengths across formats. He has managed to get flustered by the chaotic world of T20 cricket, which demands a lot of variation from the bowlers. Importantly, Australian metronome Josh Hazlewood was the inspiration behind his transformation into a cricketer.
Watch
Shreyas Iyer’s Masterclass and Arshdeep Singh’s Return! PBKS reveal a winning formula“It doesn’t surprise me because Josh Hazlewood does the exact same thing,” Jansen said in response to a query from TOI about the consistent ‘Test-match’ lengths he mixes regardless of formats. “People ask the same question (about him). How does he just hit the length and take wickets? He doesn’t get a lot of runs and he’s also consistent,” Jansen said.“Josh has variations, too. I have one or two variations, too. We’re both tall pitchers, but we throw different lengths,” Jansen said. “When I was younger, the problem was that I was trying to throw similar lengths to the other guys. I didn’t realize that what I bring to the table is completely different. I have to find my own way to be effective. I’ve been comfortable in my own skin for the last year or so,” he added.However, his role changed in Punjab Kings. He can’t use the swing as a weapon because he doesn’t get on with the new ball, so Jansen has had to work on bowling with the older ball. The hard work paid off in the Test series in India last winter when he troubled the Indian batsmen throughout. Even in the IPL, his approach was to find wickets. “I’m used to taking over first or second, but I also know I have the ability to adapt,” Jansen said. “Coming in to bowl in the third, fourth or sometimes fifth over is definitely a different approach.





