‘I flew in, played next day, flew out next evening’

Netherlands batting coach Heino Kuhn, a consistent run-getter in first-class cricket with close to 12000 runs in the four-day format, was only ever given one Test series for South Africa against England in 2017. In tough batting conditions in England, he could muster just 113 runs in four Tests, and immediately lost his place to Aiden Markram, never to play for the Proteas again. Kuhn went onto complete a successful Career in England's County Cricket for Kent before moving on to coaching. The 41-year-old recently talked to The Daily Star's Samsul Arefin Khan in Sylhet and spoke candidly about his international career and a very brief stint at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as well. The excerpts are as follows:   

The Daily Star (DS): You had a very good first-class career, but couldn't make it big at the international level. Looking back, what do you think went wrong for you?

Heino Kuhn (HK): I got my opportunity to play for South Africa after scoring a double hundred against an English side. I was just unfortunate to play on some difficult pitches against some world-class bowlers like [Stuart] Broad and [James] Anderson. Alastair Cook, who opened for England in that series, even said that was one of the most difficult pitches he has faced as an opener. So, I don't think anything went wrong. I got some good balls, maybe could have played some better shots at times, but I can't put a finger on it.

The two series after the England series were Bangladesh in South Africa and Zimbabwe in South Africa. Adam Markram got the opportunity. He made hundreds on pretty flat pitches, but you still have to make them. And I'm glad that I got that opportunity to play in England, and he didn't have to go through that. It was really a tough series to bat in. So, I'm glad that he got his opportunity on good pitches, and he took that opportunity. Now he is captain, and he's got us a championship. So, I'm very happy about him.

DS: So, you don't have any regrets?

HK: No regrets. I didn't change anything when I went up to play for South Africa. I trained the same, technique didn't change. So, it was just I had one series and it was a pretty difficult series, and that was it.

DS: You signed a Kolpak deal with Kent soon after, and had a fantastic run with them. You captained that side for a few seasons as well. What made you sign that deal?

HK: I was in the middle part of my 30s. The [national team's] coaching staff had changed and they said they're going to look for younger players. So, that pretty much told me that that'll be my last series. So, when I had that opportunity [Kolpak deal], I took it, and learned a lot. And I felt like I made a little bit of amends with going back to England and actually doing well there.

DS: You coached your Titans teammate, Roelof van der Merwe, in Netherlands. How was it?

HK: Good. Roelof and I, we've played together since we were nine years old. We're both 41 years old now. We've had a friendship and played together for many years. But to coach him, well, he didn't really need to be coached. He's so experienced, and he's such a good player. It was just more like going on holiday together and playing cricket. It's always nice to play with him. I've always said that I'll have him in any side I play in any format, because he's got that fighting spirit, and he finds a way to win.

DS: You played for a big team like South Africa and are now coaching an Associate side like Netherlands. What differences do you see between the cricketing structures in both countries?

HK: I think the main thing is the pool of players. In South Africa, India, Bangladesh, England, there are thousands and millions of people who play cricket. In the Netherlands, the pool is so small, the sport is so small. So it's different. A lot of the clubs where the guys play have artificial pitches. Other teams have turf pitches. So, one day you play on a turf, the next day you play on an artificial pitch. Weather's not always great. With a lot of rain, and cold around, you can't really prepare great pitches all the time. So, it's different, but the guys make the most of it. And I think they've done pretty well. We've beaten some big teams and are looking to continue that journey.

DS: Can you recall your time in the BPL? How did it happen and did you enjoy your short stint?

HK: I got called up as a replacement for an injured Ian Bell. My agent phoned me and said, "Listen, do you want to go?" I said, "Definitely." I think there were six games that he wanted me to play that were left. They had a good team with the Dhaka Dynamites, with Shakib [Al Hasan], [Sunil] Narine, and [Kieron] Pollard in there. So, a very good side. I played the first game; we lost. And then that night, I got a call from a manager, and he said the team had complained about my inclusion because I wasn't in the same bracket as what Ian Bell was. So, I had to go home the next day. I flew in, played the next day, flew out the next evening.

DS: Netherlands have qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup next year, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka. Do you see this series as preparation for the World Cup?

HK: I think this is good preparation. We're missing about five or six guys that will definitely make the starting XI. But the other guys who are here, you never know with injuries, they could be in the squad going to the World Cup. So, it's definitely a very good experience and preparation for that World Cup. We've been in India for the 50-over World Cup. So, we've done it, and we just got to take whatever we learned here into India in five or six months' time.