Marco Jansen has been on the coronary heart of South Africa’s rise to their first ICC World Take a look at Championship ultimate within the 2023-25 cycle. Regardless of that includes in solely six Assessments this version, the towering Proteas pacer racked up 29 wickets, his 33.17 strike price bettered solely by India’s Jasprit Bumrah amongst bowlers who’ve managed not less than as many scalps as him.
With South Africa demanding the return of their WTC-final-bound gamers forward of the IPL 2025 Playoffs late final month, Jansen needed to go away an in-form Punjab Kings shortly earlier than they made their bid for a maiden title. The left-arm seamer was integral to Punjab’s center and death-overs bowling plans, ending because the second-highest wicket-taker with 16 scalps in 14 video games.
Jansen not too long ago opened up on the bond that he created with head coach Ricky Ponting at Punjab and the previous Aussie captain’s cheeky message for him as he ready to go away India for Lord’s to tackle the defending Take a look at champs, Australia, beginning June 11.
“Earlier than I left (India), he (Ponting) simply stated ‘good luck, I hope you do nicely, however I hope you lose’,” the 25-year-old Jansen advised ICC Digital.
Jansen, nonetheless, thanked Ponting for firming him up with a wave of confidence forward of a momentous summit conflict as South Africa goal to finish an extended ICC title drought.
“I learnt rather a lot from him, particularly from a psychological viewpoint. He’s at all times optimistic, and he at all times sees the great things as a substitute of the dangerous stuff, if it is sensible,” he stated.
“And I believe that’s why he’s a legend of the sport, since you at all times lean in the direction of what may occur as a substitute of what may go mistaken. For me personally within the IPL, he’s helped rather a lot in that regard, as a result of he at all times reminds you what could possibly be, what you are able to do and what may occur as a substitute of what couldn’t occur,” he added.