MICHAEL MENTZ

JOHANNESBURG - It may take a while for a ship to change its course, but with the help of former international umpire Danny Becker, Randburg Cricket Club can speed up the process.

This season the club finished in the bottom half of the B-section of Gauteng’s Premier League, and management realised that a change had to be made if they were to avoid the same fate this season.

Subsequently a decision was made to tap in to the experience of Becker, who has been in the game for more than 40 years.

And after having a quick look at the talent at his disposal, Becker is confident Randburg can change their fortunes.

“My goal is to get this side in a position where they can qualify for the A-section,” said Becker.

“And to do this we first will have to ensure that the basics are in place which will improve our overall level of professionalism.”

Becker is, however, not promising miracles and his focus will be to guide his players through some of the mistakes that have often meant the difference between winning and losing.

“It would be foolish to say things will change overnight, but if we sort out some of the basic errors players make, it will only be a matter of time before their confidence is at the right level,” he said.

While all club level coaches should have the relevant qualifications, very few have been involved in the sport for as long as Becker.

His ability to identify minor weaknesses in technique coupled with his knack of motivating individuals could give Randburg an advantage over their opponents.

But then that is to be expected from a man who had, even before cricket went through so many diverse changes, stood as umpire in 102 Standard Bank one-day domestic games as well as 23 one-day internationals.

Add to that the 89 first-class matches he officiated and it comes as no surprise that he is able to identify certain basic mistakes batsmen make without knowing it.