Ackerman to lead Dolphins in One Day Cup
The Hollywoodbets Dolphins begin their charge for silverware
this weekend in the One Day Cup with experienced batter Marques Ackerman back
at the helm for the tournament.
Ackerman has been in good form for the Dolphins and for his SA20 franchise the Pretoria Capitals going into the competition and will once again prove to be a crucial cog in the Dolphins line-up.
The 28-year-old is no stranger to leading the Dolphins and was captain of the side that won the CSA 4-Day Domestic Series a few seasons ago. Talking about taking on the role Ackerman feels he's more ready now than he was when he first got the job.
"It's a great privilege to be the captain again," Ackerman said. "I am a little bit older now and a little bit more experienced but there are things that I can take from my last stint as captain and things that I can do differently as well.
"We have struggled in this format over the past few seasons, but we have put that behind us and will take this one game by game.
"There's definitely a renewed energy in the team and hopefully we can put in good performances and have a successful campaign."
For coach Quinton Friend handing Ackerman, the keys to the team was a decision that he and his coaching staff felt was the right one.
"It was a pretty easy decision for us to give Marques the captaincy given that he has captained the Dolphins in the four day competition," Friend said.
"He's a fantastic leader and a pretty fiery character which is what we going to need in a tournament like this.
"Tactically he has a very smart captain, he's got a good cricketing brain and thinks about the game a lot. He's someone that is constantly thinking about how we can change things for the better."
Ackerman will be filling an important role as leader, but he'll also be relied on to make significant contributions with the bat. Ackerman has the support of the players around him which is an important factor for the coach.
"Marques has the respect of the guys around him and they want to play for him," Friend added. "He's got all the skills and is someone that has a good understanding of the group as a whole.
The Dolphins will head into the competition with a strong blend of youth and experience, despite missing a few key players who are with the Proteas. They begin their campaign on Sunday, 16 February against the Dafabet Warriors at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.
