Read full biographyClose biography
Dwaine Pretorius might not have established himself as firepower in international cricket, but he had the prowess to become the next Jacques Kallis to the Proteas side in all formats. However, his career has been marred by injuries from an early age. Post his twin knee injuries, Pretorius had decided to curb down on his pace and concentrate on disciplined line and lengths. On the back of some impressive performances at age-group level cricket, Pretorius was included in the South African squad for the 2008 U19 World Cup. However, he couldn’t make it to the final squad after tearing cartilage in his right knee. He then decided to study and earned a degree in accounting before giving cricket another go. Following his comeback to cricket, Pretorius was included in the North-West Provincial side in the 2010-11 season but made the XI in only the final match of the season. His exceptional performance in his debut match made him a regular in the side in the next season. Pretorius was also named the T20 Amateur Cricketer of the Year and was part of the Highveld Lions squad during the 2012 Champions League T20. However, he couldn’t make it to the squad as he needed immediate surgery on his knee, which flared up immensely in the lead-up to the tournament. When Pretorius finally returned to cricket, he focused more on line and length and shelved the idea of bowling at high speeds. Accuracy became his most potent weapon, and he also improved in his lower-order batting. He was included in the South African ODI squad, which was slated to play Ireland, and despite being named for that particular series, he held onto his place for the ODI series against Australia. Pretorius made it to the South African Test squad for the tour of Australia in 2017 as an injury replacement to Dale Steyn. Owing to a strong pool of fast bowlers in the South African set-up, Pretorius hasn’t quite managed to cement his place in the side, but given his all-round potential, Pretorius
