DANIEL GALLAN - INTERVIEW: Sharing a field with teammates who were once his heroes while steaming in and unleashing thunderbolts from a dizzying height, no one should be surprised to see the giant left-armer thrive
At 6ft 8in tall, it's hard for Marco Jansen to go unnoticed. Even so, he has emerged onto the international scene like a bolt from the heavens, a gift from the cricket gods to deliver lightning strikes of his own from a towering left arm. And if you're surprised by his sudden emergence as a Test-quality cricketer, don't worry, you're not alone. The young man can't quite fathom it either.
"If you asked me two years before [his introduction to international cricket in December last year], if you told me I'd make my debut against India for South Africa, I would have laughed at you, I would have told you no chance," he says.
"My high school career, I didn't play well. I wasn't like the top schoolboy cricketer, so to speak. But ya, I just got the opportunity and the opportunities I've got I've used. It's just a privilege and an honour to be here today. Every chance I get I just try to use it and grab it with both hands."
His dismissal of Joe Root in England's first innings at Lord's was a sign of Jansen's potential. By targeting a fourth stump line from over the wicket, he brought Root forward only to shape the ball back onto his front pad for a successful lbw shout. Three more wickets across the game, as well as a composed and belligerent 48 with the bat, contributed to his team's victory by an innings and 12 runs. At 22-years-old, and after only six Tests, Jansen looks the real deal.
Raised by a disciplinarian father in the university town of Potchefstroom, west of Johannesburg, he trained alongside his twin brother Duan, himself a first-class cricketer. Jansen began life as a batter but a growth spurt saw him turn his attention to bowling.
He first gained the attention of the Indian camp when he impressed Virat Kohli as a net bowler in 2018. Four years later, on his Test debut, he had Kohli caught behind in Centurion.
South Africa lost that match but went on to claim the series thanks to a formidable bowling unit that now has a claim to being the best in the world. Though no support act, Jansen remains in awe of some of his teammates.
Jansen played his part in a comprehensive win for South Africa at Lord's (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
"I've watched these guys from when I was 16-years-old," he says. "I watched KG [Kagiso Rabada] and Lungi [Ngidi] and then Kesh [Keshav Maharaj]. Especially now at Lord's. Watching KG running in and thinking: 'I've seen these guys bowl on TV, now I'm standing in the slips and if the batter nicks it I have to be the guy to catch the ball.'
"So, it's a different perspective and that motivates me to not let the team down and not let them down in a way. When I give my best, it lifts them up as well. We don't take anything for granted because we know that mother cricket is going to kick you on the backside if you do."
Keeping things simple must be a challenge for a young tearaway and is a sign of Jansen’s maturity. He credits this to his father's guiding hand. "He was hard on us," Jansen explains. "Especially when it comes to sports. There have been some very tough times when my dad was tough on us and there was no sugar coating.
"That enabled us to grow and mature a bit quicker than the other kids when we were younger. Whenever I think about that I smile because my dad played a big part in our careers. He's been the tough guy but also the guy whenever we needed a bit of love and softness."
Now under the tutelage of a trio of experienced quicks, including Anrich Nortje, and under the steely gaze of coach Mark Boucher, Jansen is developing into a cricketer that any side would love to have. He understands the value of his left arm but also stresses the need to develop his batting in a line-up that looks set on playing five genuine bowlers.
"The plan is to be an allrounder," he says with confidence. "I put a lot of work into my batting. I try and get my bowling and batting at the same level. I've put in a lot of hard yards behind the scenes."
Jansen has ambitions to be considered a genuine allrounder (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
He has had his troubles with injuries. That is part of the equation for lanky bowlers who twist and turn and then exert great pressures on their joints through the crease. Semi-stress fractures in his lower back have been worked through and he's confident he's found the right programme which should see him remain a force in the game. Already an IPL veteran having played for both the Mumbai Indians and the Sunrises Hyderabad, he has demonstrated his adaptability across formats. One, though, captivates him more than the rest.
"I've enjoyed Test cricket," he says. "I enjoy the red-ball format. For me it's the format where what you put in, you normally get out. If you bowl well, you'll get wickets. If you bat well, you'll get runs. It's what I've enjoyed the most."
If he stays fit and is selected for every South African Test over the next four years, Jansen will play a paltry 28 of them. That is a consequence of the Future Tours Programme and the sobering economics in the global game.
Not that Jansen is concerned by all of that. He's living his dream, sharing a field with teammates who were once his heroes while steaming in and unleashing thunderbolts from a dizzying height. No one should be surprised to see him thrive.