Spotlight on Sarel Burger

WITH a father and older brother who both represented their country, it was perhaps destined that Sarel Burger would follow in their footsteps.

His father Hennie Burger was a top all-rounder who played for South West Africa before independence, while his brother Louis started playing for Namibia in 2001.

Sarel, meanwhile, went to school in Kimberley where he excelled at cricket from a young age, and in the same year was selected for Griquas’ u19 team that competed at the annual Nuffield Week.

He later returned to Namibia and made his debut for his country at the 2003 World Cup at the age of 20. Since then he has gone on to become one of Namibia’s most reliable players and probably their top all-rounder, while he also captained his country for several years.

He is Namibia’s second-most capped player behind Craig Williams, having played 280 matches in all formats of the game, while he is Namibia’s fourth highest run scorer and third highest wicket taker.

He scored more than 6 500 runs in all formats of the game, with a top score of 135 not out against Canada, while he took 346 wickets with a best performance of 6/60.

Burger, who retired from international cricket in 2018, talked to The Namibian Sport about the highs and lows of his career.

Who was your sport hero as a child?

Hansie Cronje. His leadership skills were extraordinary and even though he made some bad decisions towards the end of his career, he still remained my hero.

Who was the best player you ever played with?

Craig Williams and Gerrie Snyman, who are both extraordinary cricketers with great talent and mental toughness, while they had the ability to take the game away from the opposition at any time. They are both Namibian legends and match winners, and I was privileged to have them on my side of the ring.

Who was the best player you played against?

Bowling wise it is definitely James Anderson of England. He is definitely one of the most successful fast bowlers of all time and to still be playing at the highest level at the age of 37 speaks volumes for his determination and skill.

Batting wise it must be Kevin Pieterson who was a real force to be reckoned with in all three formats of the game and his career statistics speak for themselves.

Who was the best coach you played under?

I’d say the most influential as a full time coach was Andrew ‘Bundu’ Waller, while in a consultancy role I’d pick the late Bob Woolmer and Eric Simons. Eric has a calm approach and the amount of experience and people skills he has is unbelievable.

What was your most memorable match?

Making my One Day International debut against England in the 2003 World Cup. The feeling of that game was unbelievable and to this day it is still very special, especially since we only lost by 55 runs.

At the time Bob Woolmer told us to keep a dairy because someday we would be glad we did. I followed his advice and now when I read it again I can still feel the excitement of that game.

What was the highlight of your career?

The 2003 World Cup without a doubt. Being able to test ourselves against the best in the world was something special and also being a part of such a prestigious event was a highlight on its own.

And the lowlight of your career?

Losing a team member and close friend during November 2015. Raymond van Schoor was a true friend and a great team player. His passing during the prime of his career was most definitely the lowlight of my career.

Name your best Namibian squad:

JB Burger, Raymond Van Schoor (wicket keeper), Gavin Murgatoyd, Craig Williams, Gerrie Snyman, Gerhard Erasmus, Louis Burger, Bernard Scholtz, Lennie Louw, Louis Klazinga and Kola Burger. Twelfthman: JJ Smit.

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