From Colombo via Mumbai to Newlands, coach Robin Peterson is on the right path

Being summoned across the seas all the way to Colombo to make your international debut as a rookie 23-year-old against powerhouse India in an ICC Champions Trophy semi-final is a daunting enough prospect.

Then add bowling to Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar in your very first over and most young cricketers would simply buckle under the spotlight.

But Robin Peterson believes that experience was all part of the stars aligning for a bigger objective to be achieved later down the line in his career.

“Nicky Boje got injured in Colombo and I was flown out to go and play. I didn't know anything about cricket to be honest,” said Peterson, who is now head coach of the Betway SA20 champions MI Cape Town.

“I was probably way too young to realize the magnitude of the situation.

“Funnily enough, I bowled my first over to Sachin Tendulkar, who is now the MI (Mumbai Indians) icon.

“So maybe the universe was trying to tell me something.

“It's a great franchise to be part of. I was fortunate enough to play for them in the IPL too. So I've got a long history with them.

“You know, they helped me with a couple of projects on the side, leading up into all the league teams that they purchased. I've had an ongoing relationship with them for a long time. So that gives you a sense that they do like to keep their own around for long periods of time.

“As a player and as a coach, you do feel that they definitely have that family vibe and they look after their players. It's no secret that the players get well looked after. Anything that they need to help the team perform, they provide it.

“But, you know, it does come with its challenges, like the challenges that you have to win. At the end of the day, when you're with that franchise, that's what it's about.”

Peterson certainly knows all about the pressures of coaching at MI Cape Town. For two seasons, the Newlands-based side were placed last in the SA20 league standings and missed out on progression to the playoffs.

It required a major mindshift change with Peterson backing the local players in his squad like George Linde, Delano Potgieter, Connor Esterhuizen along with stalwarts such as Ryan Rickleton, Rassie van der Dussen and Kagiso Rabada ahead of the overseas internationals.

“I think you just had guys that were fed up with ending last and were totally committed to the cause this year,” he said.

“Getting the guys aligned months before the competition and then reaffirming what we want to achieve this campaign.

“I wasn't any rocket science. I think you had totally committed players and it helped with a couple of the players coming into the competition in form. Guys like George Linde, Brevi, Rix, and a few others. They came into the competition ready, fit and hungry.

“And then definitely there was a better chemistry between the guys.”

Peterson is certainly looking forward to seeing how his MI Cape Town players fare in the on-going Champions Trophy - a competition he not only made his debut in but also participated in three tournaments across the span of 11 years.

His most telling contribution, of course, came with the bat in a group match against India at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens in 2013 when he walked in at No 3 and proceeded to smash 68 in a brilliant 124-run partnership with AB de Villiers.

Peterson, however, still remembers the culmination of the innings when he and De Villiers were involved in a horrible mix up.

“I think that's twice AB de Villiers has run me out (laughs out loud),” Peterson said. “We always talk about it, but I always tell him he threw away a couple of hundreds for me at international level. But yeah, it was an interesting game.”

Peterson’s playing days are long a thing of the past though. He is totally committed to his coaching career now with him being one of the most qualified coaches in the country.

The 45-year-old is in possession of a Masters in Sports Directorship from Manchester Metropolitan University and is fast building up his CV by now winning both the SA20 and Major League Cricket (MLC) championship titles with MI Cape Town and MI New York respectively.

The former Proteas all-rounder is also the head coach of the Warriors in the Cricket SA domestic first-class competition where he’s nurtured a number of bright young local talents.

With credentials as impressive as this, it certainly won’t be too long before Peterson graduates to a higher level with the Proteas Men’s national team.

At this stage, Peterson though does not want to rush into anything and is content with his current career trajectory.

“I don't think in coaching I have goals. I think I just try and do well for the team that I'm with,” Peterson said in an exclusive interview on the Indy Sports Show.

“I think it's always going to be there - to coach your country is an absolute privilege - so you know, I think if that opportunity presents itself, it's hard to say no. But at this stage, I think where I am and what I'm doing, I'm enjoying it.

“The franchise stuff with MI and then coming down to the Warriors, it's a totally different role again that you play over here. It's almost contrasting roles, where you get the taste of franchise cricket and the high pressure that you have to win all the time.

“At the Warriors, yes, we want to win, but there's a lot of young players that you have to learn, teach them how to play and develop them.

“I kind of get the best of both worlds right now, but if that call ever came in the future in a couple of years and I've gathered a lot of experience, then yeah, sure, why not?

“You can't turn down your country!”