Future Prospect

Many cricketers would agree that there’s barely anything Murray Graeme Coetzee can’t possibly do on the cricket field. The 18 year old wicket-keeper batsman hails from Pretoria School Boys High where a few talented schoolboy cricketers have been developed in Pretoria. Just like Proteas Test captain Graeme Smith, not only does Coetzee share a second name with talismanic batsman, but as well the leadership qualities that motivate his fellow teammates around him to do more than the impossible.

Coetzee was selected for the U/19 Northerns Cricket team were he captained the squad heading to the annual Coca Cola Khaya Majola Week in December 2011. Going into the tournament, Coetzee’s only major ambition was to simply do well in the tournament and make past cricketers having represented Northerns proud. Leading from the front, Coetzee managed to produce a number of match winning performances which got him the Batsman of the Tournament award. Despite Coetzee having injured his finger before the tournament, his consistent performances with the bat saw him get selected for the Titans Cubs squad and chosen to represent the SA U19 team in the 5-match ODI Youth Series again Pakistan in Cape Town and Stellenbosch in early January this year.

Coetzee performed moderately well for the SA U/19 outfit scoring 31*, 44 and 55 when he was given the chance to showcase his abilities against the visiting Pakistan U/19 team. “We were made to work for our national caps. I had a few hiccups on the tour, early on especially, but once I had adjusted to the Jet’s [Ray Jennings] different style of coaching, I really enjoyed it and we made a lot of good memories on the tour.” explained Coetzee with a grin on his face about his time in the SA U/19 team. Coetzee’s plans for the near future are to hopefully represent his country at the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup in Australia this year in August. Not only does Coetzee excel on the cricket field, but he’s also very passionate about his studies. Coetzee wishes to study medicine at the University of Pretoria next year [2013] where it would be possible to represent the Northerns Amateurs outfit and hopefully soon for the Nashua Titans just as his father Lance Coetzee had done so in 1980.

-Mandilulame Manjezi
@JizzyJakes