Abbott: Klusener has the biggest influence on my career

This is the first time you are playing in the BPL. How has your experience been with Khulna so far?It has been a really good experience with Khulna. We have a great bunch of guys in terms of a team. Everything ran smoothly from the moment we landed here. Mahela Jayawardene (head coach) and Alfonso Thomas (pace bowling coach) are being excellent with the team. We have a great management. We have a great diversity of players in the squad. Like we have very good local players, Sri Lankan players, West Indian players, English players, [Michael] Klinger as an Australian player and myself and Rilee Roscoe Rossouw from South Africa. To sit around and chat with these guys is also great experience.You hail from Zululand, same as South Africa great Lance Klusener. You also have worked under Klusener while playing for Dolphins in South Africa as he was the coach in 2012-13. You had taken 49 wickets that season. How was your time spent with Klusener?Klusener probably has the biggest influence on my career. He is a good friend of mine. We come from the same part of the world. We enjoyed similar things off the field as well. We both enjoy fishing. He is a fantastic fisherman. I have been lucky enough to stand with him quite a few times in the beach. As a coach he took me out of my comfort zone. That was a really important thing to me. He made me realise what I am actually capable of as a cricketer as I probably did not have much of an idea about that previously. He challenged me a lot. That was a great thing for me. And it was needed at that time of my career to become a better player.Any fast bowler whom you have followed closely in your career?Allan Donald. I worked under Donald for a couple of years when I was in the South Africa national team. It was a pretty good experience to work with him. And obviously I have followed Dale Steyn, who is one of the best in the world. He is also one of my close friends. About Dale, I can say we also have similar interests like surfing and fishing. Our relationship off the field is very good as well and still he is a very good friend of mine.You got seven wickets in your Test debut against Pakistan after replacing the legendary Jacques Kallis. Will you share what it was like?I just remember to be honest that my family was there. My older brothers and my mom and dad were there to witness that. That was something special.What made you decide to become a fast bowler?I also asked myself a few times in the last couple of years (smiles). I think the decision came naturally for me to be honest. Probably bowling fast and the joy of taking wickets by beating the batsmen were exciting to me. That’s why I liked fast bowling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7D-8vIdR5QYou took 13 wickets at an average of 14.84 against Australia away. South Africa had won the series 2-1. Was it the best series for you with the Proteas?Probably it was my best for South Africa. I just felt at that time I was playing with a lot of freedom. In the last 12 months I am also playing with freedom. There is not that much of fear of failure, which is key for a cricketer I think.