Gill's clarity and decision-making as captain are excellent: GT's Coetzee
There is a shade of Dale Steyn in Gerald Coetzee's wicket-taking celebrations — fiery eyes, raised fists and bulging veins.
As a tearaway speedster from South Africa, the 24-year-old naturally looks up to the fast-bowling great while seeking to carve his own identity in his country's pace pantheon.
Coetzee enjoyed an impressive initiation to his international career in 2023. At the ODI World Cup in India, he was South Africa's leading wicket-taker with 20 scalps in eight matches in his team's run to the semifinals.
But in recent months, his progress has slowed down owing to groin and hamstring troubles that made him miss a vast chunk of cricket in the South African summer.
His comeback from injury has been via this year's IPL, where he has played three matches for Gujarat Titans.
'Yeah, injury is always frustrating. But it is part of the game. If you look at most fast bowlers who bowl 145kph-plus on the circuit today, they all struggle. So some frustration, but also understanding the journey of a fast bowler. Hopefully, I've many more years of cricket left,' Coetzee said during a virtual media interaction on Tuesday.
At Titans, Coetzee is playing under skipper Shubman Gill, someone that the speedster first noticed when they were playing for their respective countries in the 2018 U-19 World Cup in New Zealand. Gill, of course, is also India's new Test captain.
Probed on Gill's style of functioning, Coetzee offered sharp insight. 'He's really calm and also stands up for the players. Tactically, he's good. He allows the bowler to express what he's thinking. And if he feels something different, there will be a very short discussion and then a decision would be made, which is a really good quality for a captain. The clarity has been good. He's excellent when it comes to that department,' he said.
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