A tidy spell with the ball, a clean hitting demo with the bat. George Linde got MI Cape Town home with a bonus point, and soon after, walked out for a chat with the media in the post-match press conference. Excerpts.. 

On the season so far

It’s been a pretty good season so far for me. The key to this is that I took a long break from cricket because mentally I wasn’t there for cricket anymore. I needed that hunger back again. Spent some time with my family and friends because I missed out on a lot of things in my life. Now I’m just enjoying cricket with a smile on my face because you never know when it’s your last. 

On the mood in the camp this year

I’m not sure what it is. Feels like a different vive in the camp. Everyone knows each other and Rashid (Khan) being back in the camp is like a big boost for us. He knows most of the players now. The guys are hungry to be successful for the fans and the franchise. The last two years haven’t been great for us and we owe it to ourselves and the fans. 

On going for the bonus point 

It's always massive in a T20 game. When you get off to a good start, you just put your foot down and keep going. I know how important a bonus point can be in this competition. I wasn’t sure if we were going for it, but then I decided, ‘okay, might as well go for it’. You know you are winning the game in a way, it gives you the clarity. The backing from the coaches and the confidence they give you, you feel that as a player and then try your best. 

His preparations to bowl in the powerplay 

I reckon it comes down to how the wicket might play. If you look at our team, we’ve got three seamers. You steal an over in the powerplay as a spinner, it gives the seamers more depth. I am pretty used to Newlands and it is my home ground for many years. You always get something off the wicket as a spinner. Sometimes you come off, sometimes you don’t. It’s down to how the captain feels at the time. I didn’t expect to bowl that second over and thought KG (Rabada) might bowl that. Luckily I got them out. I am always willing to do what the team needs me to do. I planned to bowl in the powerplay. I always believe I can contribute to the team, maybe pick up a wicket or two. 

On his bowling plans 

Trying to read the game. The game tells you what to do. I am a very calm person, so I don’t take stress too quickly and tell myself what the team needs from me. Sometimes I have to go from ball one, sometimes I have to give myself time. For Western Province, I’ve done it a lot for them as well. I am 33 years old. I am experienced enough and I know more or less what to do. Sometimes it is going to work for you, sometimes it’s not. That’s how the game works. 

Thoughts on his current form 

It's the best I’ve played my cricket. The last two years was a huge mental block for me. It made me strong. In the winter, I worked really hard with Western Province. I didn’t make it easy for myself in the training. I always try and make it hard for myself and it gets the best out of me. It wasn’t easy. Basically, the first season, I said I was playing for myself. I know I deserve the best because I train very hard. In the season, I try and keep it more mental. I visualize a lot. I try to understand what would happen in the next game, what I need, and what would happen from there. 

On the need to switch off after games 

It’s very important. It’s stress every day when you play. When I’m not playing, I play a lot of golf, spend time with the family. I play a lot of FIFA. On game day, I play a lot of games before. It keeps my mind away from things. An hour before the game, I try and visualize. I close my eyes and think how I’m going to play my game, how I’m going to bowl and bat. I try and not think a lot about cricket. On the field you can feel like a robot, which is why I like to relax. 

On gaining momentum ahead of the playoffs 

We’ve not been in a situation where we’ve gotten into the knockouts before. Because we’ve got so many world class players and international players in the team, you try not to try too hard. You try and stay relaxed, in your game plan to compete. It gets the best out of me. It is the first time we won back to back, so I think it is good momentum for the coming games. We know how important it is getting into the top two because it gives us two cracks. 

On working with Robbie Peterson 

It’s pretty cool. When I started my professional career, I started with him. He knows my game pretty well. Just to get the backing from him is pretty cool. He couldn’t strike it like me (laughs). No, I’m joking. He was someone I looked up to. I wanted to be like him, if not better. He’s pretty street-smart.