Nandre Burge

Nandre Burger (born 11 August 1995) is a South African cricketer who plays for the South African cricket team and Western Province in South African domestic cricket. He has described himself as an accidental cricketer as he endured a serendipitous path to cricketing journey. Quotes WITS offered a scholarship for those who played cricket. I thought it was cool. I didn't want to be a cricketer, but I was getting a free way to study, so I thought why not? Cricket was actually my back-up to academics I had nothing to lose when I first started playing, I was simply playing to enjoy it. But when I was close to being picked internationally, I realised I was putting way too much pressure on myself. That year away kind of helped me slow down and give me the focus back. I learnt to just enjoy bowling again. I've now played two Tests. If I never play another Test, I'll still be fine with it because I enjoyed and lived every moment of those two. Those were the biggest lessons I took from missing a whole year. I follow it religiously. At times, I can get extra competitive on the field, but it's who we are, right? The one thing I love is that it's a family. And I'm big on family - for me, it's a core principle. Everyone celebrated Holi. You're seeing a bunch of pink men walking around. Moments like those are cool to help with team bonding. Everyone got to act like a kid for an hour. No matter what pressure you have on the field or what you're going through in life in general, for that one hour they were a bunch of kids, throwing water and colour on each other I've had so much time to pick his brain, trying to observe how he goes about things. I've been like a crazy fan boy around him. But it's okay, I think (smiles sheepishly). It's amazing to open the bowling with him. It could be pretty fun to do it for an entire season Ah, Boulty [Trent Boult]. I wanted to be like him. Understand what he thinks when he opens the bowling. He always takes a wicket in the powerplay. Just to be able to chat with him, understand his processes and how can I try and incorporate some of his methods into my thinking I'm just letting you know the Test team for the India series is going to be announced on Monday. Your name will be in it, congrats.' This is just before I'm about to enter the field. I was like 'Woah, no pressure By the time I actually got to bowl, I was so emotionally tired. It felt like I'd played ten days of cricket. Keeping the secret to myself was the hardest part. My team-mates were like, 'Oh, you seem happy today' and I'm like, 'Hey, I'm just a happy person'. It was really cool. Nandre Burger: 'I didn't want to be a cricketer, it was a free way to study', March 2024, Cricinfo byShashank Kishore External links Category:Cricketers from South Africa Category:1995 births Category:Living people