Jean-Paul Duminy by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

---

Player:

JP Duminy

---

DateLine: 17th April 2009

 

Jean-Paul Duminy was identified very early on as a potential international player, but having made his ODI debut in 2004, it was another three years before he cemented a regular place in the team. Partly that was down to South Africa's strong battling line-up and partly down to his own inconsistency, failing to live up to high expectations. However, when his Test chance came, through an injury to Ashwell Prince, he launched his career in a manner bettered by few players. On debut, he helped guided South Africa to a successful chase of 414 in Perth with an unbeaten 50, then he followed that with a serene 166 in Melbourne to rescue to his team from the prospect of a huge deficit. Those two innings confirmed him as an integral part of South Africa's future, and he build on that with impressive performances in the subsequent limited-overs game. His timing was perfect: South Africa clinched the Test and ODI series, and he subsequently earned a whopping $950,000 annual contract with the Mumbai Indians.

 

Duminy's batting is elegant and graceful, with a silky cover-drive and a strong square cut. He has few problems when the ball is short, either, and like a lot of left-handers likes to whip deliveries through midwicket. There is a calmness about his play that belies his age, an approach that flows into his personality.