'Love watching him bat': Paarl Royals' Evan Jones terms Kevin Pietersen as his role model

All-rounder Evan Jones had to wait for nearly six hours before being finally roped in by the Paarl Royals franchise for the inaugural SA20 but when that happened, his joy knew no bounds as soaked up the moment with his parents when the news arrived. Jones was determined to make the most of the opportunity that knocked on his doors. In a very brief time, he has already become an integral part of the Royals setup and has put up some impressive performances with the ball. Jones bagged 10 wickets in his first six matches that also includes a four-wicket haul. In an exclusive conversation with News18 CricketNext, Jones talked about his journey, his cricketing idol and how the experience of being surrounded with some big names has been. Excerpts Talk to us about your journey so far Sports is quite a big thing in schools in South Africa and I always loved playing cricket. In high school, I got the opportunity. I then played for Northerns but it was at the U-19 level when I decided to take up the sport and see what cricket has in store for me in the future. What was your first reaction when you got to know that Paarl Royals have roped you in? It was two in the afternoon when I got home because it was then the auction had started and I picked up around 8:30 pm in the evening. So, it was six hours later. My mom and dad were with me so it was a very special moment for me and experience everything with them. A lot of emotions came after that. It was special to be picked up by a special franchise like the Royals. Who called you from the Royals for the first time? It was so much emotions. I can’t really remember (laughs). But I remember getting a very good message from JP (Duminy). They welcomed me to the Royals family which meant a lot to me. You have some world class players in the line up. How has been the experience? Players who play at the highest level for so long and in so many competitions like Lungi (Ngidi), Jos (Buttler), David (Miller), all those kind of people, to speak to them, to share the dressing room and get the knowledge is really helpful. Really fortunate to be around the world beaters. You have a good economy rate. What’s the regime that you follow? Just luck at the moment (Laughs). We play at the slower wickets at the moment. I guess, the period in which I bowl (middle overs) helps me a lot. How do you keep a balance between bat & ball? There is a clear communication with the coaches. Training is generally split in two groups. It’s tough to keep a balance between both bat and ball but the coaches are really open to talk. I’m really fortunate to work with coaches who give you spare time. Who is your cricketing idol? Kevin Pietersen is my role model. I have always watched him do his things. Love watching him bat and love his aura. The confidence that he has in everything he does is just brilliant.