The journey of a professional cricketer is rarely a straight line. For MI Cape Town allrounder George Linde, the path from an introverted youngster to a globetrotting T20 franchise star – recently culminating in an Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Lucknow Super Giants – has been a long and winding one.
Former Proteas spinner and Cape Cobras coach Paul Adams enjoyed a front-row seat to Linde’s evolution. The pair share a long-standing relationship, tracing back to Linde’s early days at the Western Cape Academy before moving up together to the professional ranks with the Cobras.
“From the outset, we all saw a resemblance to (former Proteas spinner) Claude Henderson,” Adams told Betway SA20. “He was in the Academy with me, and when I got the Cobras’ role, we wanted to play another spinner, but one who was always contributing with the bat.
“That sort of always kept him more in the team than his bowling, although his bowling has always been steady. He’s a good package, especially in one-day and T20 cricket where he’s sort of buttered his bread now.”
But according to Adams, Linde’s early career was marked by a quiet, respectful demeanour that sometimes translated into a lack of self-confidence on the pitch.
It was not until his breakout season in 2014/15, when he played a prominent role in the Cobras annexing the CSA Domestic T20 Challenge – then known as the Ram Slam T20 competition – that Linde realised he had the potential to achieve great things.
The Cobras’ championship-winning squad boasted West Indian T20 legends such as Durban’s Super Giants’ mystery spinner Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, whom Linde would reconnect with at Newlands almost a decade later at MI Cape Town. Adams believes playing alongside the Caribbean duo had a significant impact on Linde’s development.
“He was always someone that you felt suffered from (a lack of) self-confidence; he never quite backed himself,” Adams recalls.
“He was very quiet and quite respectful, but he had to get to that competitive stage to get out of his shell. Once he could really get over that and start believing in his ability, it really switched his game up.
“A big change in him came when we started giving him the T20 role and he started playing with Pollard.
“Polly took him under his wing as a ‘finisher’ down the order. Learning from those times batting with him played a big role in George getting belief in himself and learning how to win games – whether with the bat, the ball, or in the field.”
Linde is no longer a precocious young talent. He is a seasoned veteran at 34 years old. He’s worn the Proteas jumper 43 times across formats, including at the most recent ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
It also did not go unnoticed that Linde’s most productive season for MI Cape Town, when he averaged 40.25 at a strike rate of 153.33 with the bat and claimed 11 wickets, was Season 3. It is no fluke that it coincided with MI Cape Town winning their maiden Betway SA20 championship title.
Adams is quick to point out that Linde’s rise has not come from nowhere, but has been built on a foundation of hard, unglamorous work.
“He’s not someone who just popped up,” he said. “He [toiled] around playing semi-pro cricket, three-day cricket, four-day cricket.
“I’ve always been a big George Linde fan, especially because of the ‘package’ he brings. He’s one of the sweetest strikers of the ball, and his fielding ability is massive.
“From what I saw back then already when he had a great Ram Slam, it really showed his ability and hinted to us that this guy can play for South Africa.”
Linde’s IPL debut saw him crack three boundaries in a 10-ball cameo for Lucknow Super Giants against Gujarat Titans. Adams feels this is only the tip of the iceberg, with the southpaw’s experience gained in various other global T20 leagues set to come to the fore.
“He’s done it at the international level, and people don’t just take it lightly to sign someone to the IPL,” Adams said.
“They feel that on those wickets, he can offer a lot of value as an all-round hitter who can also offer a bit of spin in games. I’ve seen him play in The Hundred and put in performances there.
“At the moment, George is travelling all over the world, popping in and out of tournaments, and he’s probably really enjoying his cricket. It’s been great actually just seeing him grow and play the way he does.”
