Johan, going back to the first time we spoke, you joked about maybe seeing two spinners in the SA team regularly, now it looks like you and Roelof might get that wish in T20 and even ODI’s, along with JP Duminy filling a role as well. Does it help having another spinner to bowl with and bounce ideas off?

J: "I think against Australia it has helped a lot. I think in Australia we struggled with only one spinner in the middle overs and coming back to South Africa its definitely helped having two."

R: "Yeah I think also looking at the IPL you see a lot of spinners bowling in tandem. There’s always the risk of a spinner travelling but having another option there is good. Taking the pace off the ball and trying to contain teams seems to be the way things are going, and its worked well in the IPL."

There are a number of different views of a spinner’s role in T20, especially in the IPL. Some have been used for containment, others for wickets and even as opening bowlers. How do you view the spinner’s role in T20?

R: "I think a spinner is still largely a containing bowler in the middle overs, say from overs 7 to 15. Some teams have used them successfully in the opening overs as wicket takers but I think generally to build pressure and get through the middle overs quickly."

J: "I think its is good to vary it every now and again, but I think whats worked for me personally in the past is to try contain the batsmen and build pressure and if you do that successfully it will lead to wickets."

Do you think the way spinners are used in T20 will impact how they are views in ODI’s?

J: "Umm, I don’t think One Day Internationals should have spinners in the first ten overs. You might in the sub-continent at times, I know I bowled a few overs between the 10th to 15th in the past when the wicket or situation allowed, especially if they’re under pressure or we’re under pressure. With these new power plays we already bowl a bit earlier than before. We tend to bowl around the 16th over whereas before it was around the 21st, so things have already changed a bit. You still play the situation on the day though."

R: "Yeah, good answer, I’ll go with that." (big grin)

You’ve pretty much burst onto the scene recently Roelof, give us a bit of background to yourself?

"Yeah I think my cricket career basically started in U19’s with going to the World Cup. After that we came back and I sort of disappeared a bit for two years, then got back into it and started playing a few games with Northerns and played there for a good two/three years. I then got a chance with the Titans and found my feet again and haven’t looked back since."

I first noticed you in the Hong Kong sixes and one game in particular where you blasted away all comers with huge hits, and also had to bowl the last over defending only a few runs, taking two wickets and winning the game. Was that a turning point to your performances this year and how was that tournament?

"I think the Hong Kong sixes is more of a festival tournament. It is still competitive but its more fun. Even in a fun tournament like that though, if you perform and the right people see it, you get a chance somewhere else and things went well there and that had an impact on how I got afforded more opportunities."

You’ve had a fantastic domestic season, culminating in a call-up for the Proteas and a spot in the T20 World Cup squad. Was there anything different to what you did this season or did things just fall into place?

"I don’t think I changed much, I just kept playing well and improved my consistency and things started falling into place and I’ve been given my chance."

You’re a big hitter of the ball and have proved that in domestic cricket and in your international performances. However, when you’ve come on for the Proteas and also in the IPL you seem to want to bliksem every ball from the word go. Is that a case of hitting through some nerves or is it a role you’ve been given?

"I think in the IPL and for South Africa the role I’ve been given is to hit boundaries. In the IPL I tend to come in around number 8 or in the last two overs so you have to have a go. For South Africa I have come in around 5 or 6 with the intent to take the game forward. So my role is definitely to hit boundaries and its definitely something I enjoy doing."

I notice your birthday actually falls on New Year’s Eve. How do you handle that, just go big or do you ignore one and celebrate the other?

(wry smile and a nervous answer) "Yeah, its good to have my birthday on New Year’s. To be honest I haven’t seen my last few birthdays through to the end, what with being holidays and some good parties. So…um…yeah, its always fun."