SPECIAL FEATURE - CELEBRIT Y GOLFER PROFILE
Heinrich Strydom
CEO - DOLPHINS CRICKET FRANCHISE & KZN
1. Where were you born and what schools did point of view, Jacques Faul has been my you attend? mentor since day one of my journey. I was born in Pretoria. My primary school was 5. You played provincial cricket for the North Baillie Park in Potchefstroom. Secondary school West Dragons, soon after retiring you got was Potchefstroom Gimnasium. into cricket administration, was that always 2. Did you come from a sporting background? the plan? I grew up in a sport loving family. I am pretty The dream was to become a Protea and the sure that my granddad took me to Loftus plan was probably to become an auditor, but before I could walk, and both my parents life has its way of guiding you to where you played all kinds of sport. should be. I was afforded the opportunity 3. When did you realize that cricket was the to pursue my cricket playing dream whilst sport you want to take further? doing my Articles, and then got appointed as I absolutely fell in love with the game from Financial manager at the North West Cricket when I held my first cricket bat. I just loved the Union where I could still continue to play. When individ-ual challenges within a team I became CEO I made the tough decision to environment. As I progressed through the age retire from all cricket, to limit the possibility of groups I thought that I had some talent, and any conflict of interest. because of my love for the game it was easy to 6. You were the youngest appointed CEO of spend countless hours training but also a cricket franchise, what was your biggest watching matches and learning from other challenge? players about the intricacies of the beautiful My biggest challenge was probably to learn game. more about the KZN province and the way in 4. Who has been the most influential person in which the cricket structures function. It is the your cricket career? biggest affiliate in the country and the sheer From a playing point of view, I was fortunate number of cricket clubs, schools and to have a very supportive family. My mom development areas were mind blowing. especially, spent a lot of hours next to the field 7. You moved to Durban from Potchefstroom, supporting and motivating me. I also had some how difficult was it to adapt? incredible coaches along the way that believed Initially it was quite daunting as it was probably in me, including Messrs. Boet Hurn, Burger van a place where I never thought I would end der Westhuizen, Hendrik de Vos, Jan Weideman up working, the iconic Kingsmead and a rich and Monty Jacobs. From an administrative history of world class players that have been
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January | February 2021
