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DALE STEYN LAUDS OTTNEIL BAARTMAN'S CONSISTENCY
Betway SA20 has unearthed its fair share of fairy-tale success stories since its inception, transforming unheralded domestic players into household names overnight. Yet, few are as inspiring as Ottneil Baartman.
Once regarded as a quiet, hard-working professional grinding away on the South African domestic circuit, the man from the Little Karoo town of Oudtshoorn has engineered a monumental rise. Today, he stands alone as the leading wicket-taker in SA20 history across its four seasons, boasts international caps for the Proteas, and is a highly coveted asset for T20 franchises worldwide.
Given his recent trajectory, it comes as no surprise that Baartman has seamlessly exported his skill set to the United States for his second Major League Cricket (MLC) campaign.
Two seasons ago, he was a late replacement for Texas Super Kings, featuring in just two matches. Fast forward to the present, and Baartman has found his feet with his new franchise, Seattle Orcas. He has risen to the top of the MLC leaderboard, after his incredible 3/9 from four overs against his former team, TSK, on Sunday took his overall wicket tally to 16 wickets at an average of 14.31.
Baartman’s clinical efficiency in the US comes as no surprise to his former Sunrisers Eastern Cape bowling coach Dale Steyn, who attributes Baartman's success to his disciplined approach to the basics.
"I'm always looking at guys that can just land the ball consistently in the right area. The thing about T20 cricket is that you can bowl badly, and you can still pick up wickets. You can get your bad ball caught on the boundary, or something like that," Steyn said.
"But for me, somebody like Ottneil Baartman, what he's done season after season after season, has earned him a spot in that South African team. I'm looking at guys that can consistently land the ball in the hot zone for a long period of time."
Steyn believes Baartman’s exploits have earned him a seat at the South African fast bowlers' elite dinner table.
"If you go look at his numbers, and you look at the games and the crunch games that he's won, he's probably the standout bowler in Betway SA20 along with Marco Jansen over all four seasons," he said.
"If you went four seasons back and you said, 'Who would be the best bowler to do well in the country?' You would have probably thought of KG Rabada, you would have thought of the big names. Ottneil Baartman has probably been my standout, and probably one of my favourite bowlers to watch in the competition. Just because of his ability to keep it simple - which is an incredible, difficult skill - and then just throw just enough variation that gets him a wicket or two."
Dale Steyn had both Betway SA20's leading wicket-takers - Ottneil Baartman and Marco Jansen - under his wing during his spell as Sunrisers Eastern Cape bowling coach.
According to Steyn, Baartman's journey carries immense weight due to the 33-year-old hailing from an area outside of the major metropolises like Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Pretoria, and therefore represents a beacon of hope for small-town players across South Africa.
"I think that his rise and where he's come from has certainly inspired other bowlers," Steyn added. "Because of the area that he comes from, the background that he has, people look at him, and they go, 'If he can do it, I can do it.' I think his story is remarkable, and hence why he's played for South Africa."
At the core of Baartman's execution is the "KISS" (Keep It Simple, Stupid) philosophy. Where other bowlers tend to panic and over-complicate their variations when under the pump, Baartman doubles down on his strengths.
"When the ball is flying everywhere, you just have to keep your head down and stay consistent," Baartman explained. "Consistency is key for me—just doing what I do as best as possible and not trying to complicate things. I think if you commit to one specific ball or one specific plan, that can change the game."
