JACK MILNER
Jacob Miltz fits into this category. Jacob, who has only recently turned 17, has been named in the 15-man South Africa under-19 cricket squad to take on 2016 ICC under-19 World Cup winners, the West Indies, in a five-match One-Day International (ODI) series from July 9 to 19 in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
“Jacob has made a lot of sacrifices to get to the level he is now,” says Jono Leaf-Wright, who has coached the youngster since he was six years old.
“I have come across lots of guys and many with talent, but there are those who are prepared to put in the work and Jacob is one of those. At the age of 13 he was overlooked in favour of some other players who were more progressive at the time. He wasn’t selected to the under-13 side and at under-15 he made the B side.
“But Jacob kept working hard. He realised fitness was an issue, especially as he is a wicketkeeper/batsman. He started to put in the hours, making the sacrifices and the gap started to close.
“Six or seven months ago he crossed the line and now he has left behind many of those who were ahead of him at an earlier age. He is very mature and that’s what separated him from so many of the others,” said Leaf-Wright.
Last December, still 16 years old at the time, Jacob represented Gauteng at the Under-17 Provincial Cricket Week. He was one of the star performers and was then selected to play in the Under-19 Lions Cub team and at Cubs Week in Stellenbosch.
The tournament comprised teams from all the provincial franchises and Jacob emphatically left his mark there. Although he was only the fourth highest scorer, he did have the highest average – an outstanding 100,5.
That was good enough to get him selected to play in the Under-23 Lions Academy team. His efforts within his own age group saw him named as the Under-17 Gauteng Player Of The Year last month.
Jacob, a grade 11 pupil at St David’s Marist Inanda, says he always wanted to play the sport. “When I was young I always enjoyed watching and playing. I had a talent for ball skills. From a young age I would throw the ball and catch and as I got to high school the passion grew.”
He admits to being a team player. “Even though cricket is really a team sport played by individuals, I enjoy being part of the team and will do whatever the team needs me to do.”
When he was only selected to play in the Gauteng under-15 B team, it proved a motivating factor for Jacob. “I don’t think making the B team is necessarily a bad thing,” said Leaf-Wright. There are two options: one, you give up, or two, you work harder to succeed and then overtake the guys who beat you. That’s exactly what Jacob did.”
At the moment Jacob opens the batting and keeps wicket, but there is a strong school of thought that this is not ideal. There’s the case of AB de Villiers who was dropped down the batting order to accommodate his wicketkeeping and that could be the case with Jacob.
“My role in the SA under-19 team will be either to open the batting, or bat at No 6. I think I will still open and keep wicket, but I will do whatever the team needs me to do.”
There are many formats in cricket these days and many cricketers prefer one over the other, but Jacob believes one needs to be flexible. “I still think to play test cricket is everybody’s dream, but one needs to be open to all formats. You’ve got to be able to adapt.”
Sledging is part of the game these days and as an opening batsman Jacob has had to deal with his share of nasty comments. “It is quite difficult to have someone commenting on everything you do. Most of the things you hear are not repeatable, but then I’m definitely a bit of a chirper myself. You’ve got to be. You have to get into the guy’s head. That’s what cricket is about.”
Leaf-Wright feels Jacob owes his acceptance in the team to his own personality. “Although he is serious when he works and he is mature, he brings a fun element to the team and the older guys really like that about him.”
Jacob says his immediate goal is to keep his place in the SA under-19 team. “There is a series against England in October and then there is the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in January.
“For me the important factor is to have balance in life. I have to find time for school, spending time in the nets hitting balls and going to the gym. It is also important to believe in yourself.”
In all this Jacob has never lost sight of his Judaism. He loves going to shul on a Friday night and having Shabbos dinner with his family and friends. He also has two younger brothers who are equally fanatical about cricket.
