Lhuan-dre Pretorius: The boxer who wants 10,000 Test runs

Lhuan-dre Pretorius has taken world cricket by storm over the past two years – from finishing as South Africa's leading run-scorer at the Under-19 World Cup to centuries on his first-class and Test debuts, before announcing himself in Major League Cricket with a blistering maiden T20 hundred. In a freewheeling chat, the 20-year-old opens up about his obsession with batting, the boxer-like routine behind every delivery, his dream of scoring 10,000 Test runs, lessons from the IPL, his bond with Yashasvi Jaiswal and why instinct still trumps technology.

The last two years have been surreal. From the Under-19 World Cup to the SA20, first-class debut hundred, Test debut hundred, IPL stint before 20. Have you had a quiet moment to think – wait, this is happening really fast?

Yeah, things happen quickly in the sporting world. I'm a firm believer in doing the right stuff off the field, and performances come from preparation – proper planning prevents poor performance. There are times you go through rough patches and reflect on all you've achieved. It's quite cool when you think of it. Sometimes you don't appreciate it as much as when you're doing well, but it's been really cool.

Your teammates describe your pre-ball routine like a boxer getting ready for a bout – hopping about, juggling the bat from hand to hand. What's the thinking behind it?

A lot of coaches say before you face a ball, you want to be in your strongest position – like a boxer throwing a punch from their strongest position. It keeps me in the moment, present and calm. If I stick to my routines and do the same thing, it means I'm focused. If I miss a routine, I know I need to refocus because I'm distracted. That's the main reason.

Did that routine come from within or a coach?

From within. I need a ball-to-ball routine because I get bored very quickly in general life and maybe in cricket. I found it keeps me engaged with the game, and it's been working.

Your teammates say you hate getting out – it's visible in your body language. How deeply are you in love with batting?

I used to hit a lot of balls in school. My dad was always hard on me about it, but I didn't mind it. I enjoy it – I could do it as a hobby every day. I'm fortunate to call it my job now. There's nothing worse than sitting on the sideline after getting out and watching the team get runs. I really love batting – it's my favorite thing to do.

Have there been instances where you've been really hard on yourself?

A lot of times. I think that brings the best out of me. If I go through rough patches, I like to come back strong and forget the past game. I came off a duck before scoring a hundred. The coaches here back you as a player. If you stick to your plans and fail on execution, that's fine. If you fail in sticking to your plan, that's a problem – then you have every right to be hard on yourself.

You come from a conservative South African background. Dewald Brevis has "All Glory to Jesus" on his shoes. Is that your support system too?

We both come from Afrikaans families – same culture, same beliefs. But I'm very superstitious, so I stay away from things like that. When I started red-ball cricket, I had an "F" written on my bat for focus – because I get bored easily. But sometimes I'd over-exaggerate and tense up. There's a fine line.

One of your defining moments has come in Test cricket, despite the narrative that young players prioritise franchise cricket. What role do you want Test cricket to play in your career?

Hopefully I'm lucky enough to play a lot of Test cricket and score 10,000 Test runs – that's my dream. I'd give up any format for Test cricket for South Africa for as long as I can. It doesn't affect me what people say. I know deep inside that's my goal. There's nothing better than Test cricket – it's the pinnacle.

How was your time in India at the IPL?

The relationships I built – I got very close with Yashasvi Jaiswal, spent time with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. What I'm doing in MLC now is because of the IPL – working with the best cricketers in the world, training with them, seeing how they go about their business. Kumar Sangakkara, all those guys – you just soak it all in. The way I'm playing now is because of the IPL.

You hit it off with Yashasvi Jaiswal. You both love batting, hate getting out, and share a love for red-ball cricket.

We both enjoy coffee – we'd go for coffee, dinner, chat about cricket. He really likes helping people. I asked him about his experiences, how he approaches certain situations. His ultimate goal is Test cricket, and so is mine. If I'm going through a rough patch, I can message him for advice and he'd be happy to help.

What amazed you about Indian cricket or the IPL?

The hard work. You see net bowlers bowling to us for three, four hours non-stop just to make us better. It opened my eyes to how high your ceiling can actually be. You think you work hard, but then you see others. Dhruv Jurel hits an insane amount of balls – first one in, last one out.

People draw parallels between you and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – the downswing trajectory from third man, the expansive range.

He's his own player, I'm my own player. We have different strengths. I ask him from a mental and approach perspective, not technical. There are similarities in bat swing and striking, but he's a class of his own. He has no fear of failure, backs himself, trains the way he plays. The level of confidence he has is incredible.

You've been a big fan of Quinton de Kock since childhood. How has he shaped you?

I met him when I was eight for a photo. I played an ODI series with him in Pakistan – he gave me my cap. That's one of the most special moments along with my Test hundred. I spent a lot of time with him, had chats. The other night he said he'd give me a bat if I scored 100, so I scored 100. Hopefully when I see him next, he's giving me that bat.

How deeply do you get into technology and analysis?

I'm not big into it. I believe in playing on instinct – that's when I get the best out of myself. If I go too much into analysis, I start premeditating what bowlers will do. I just look before the game at change-ups and what they do with the new ball. If you're batting in the 14th or 15th over as an opener, you should be settled enough to pick variations comfortably. For me personally, I don't dive too much into it because I'll get too fascinated. But it's a big positive and gives people an advantage.