Abu Dhabi T10 – Despite World Cup disappointment, Wayne Parnell’s hunger for global title remains hot

From Ranchi to London to Brisbane and now Abu Dhabi at T10 Abu Dhabi, there are Parnell’s stylish shots and meticulously edited reels all over the globe. He’s influential on multiple fronts, but beneath his social media pages, he’s a man who aspires to live life to the fullest. With it comes a desire to succeed at the highest level.

Whenever Parnell wraps up his playing career, the 33-year-old undoubtedly takes immense pride and satisfaction in what he has achieved. The youngest player awarded a national contract by the South African cricket team in 2009, Parnell represented South Africa in over 100 caps for the Proteas, but there was one thing missing for the left-arm player from Port Elizabeth – the ICC trophy.

In Australia, South Africa started their T20 World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe, a game they should have won but went nowhere. They bounced back by beating Bangladesh and beating India, and after three games, they looked like the right team to beat.

Over the course of several nights, however, their game fell apart with a loss to Pakistan and then a crushing defeat against the Netherlands. Despite such a positive start, they took an early flight home.

“It was very disappointing. Going in, we felt very confident. Just sitting in the locker room and looking around at the personnel we had, we were very confident,” Parnell said. “I’m still asking myself what went wrong. It’s just one of those things in the tournament format where you have to switch every game.”

For Parnell, after more than a decade playing for his country, the desire to add to the world title remains. South Africa’s success on the global stage has been elusive since clinching the championship trophy in 1998.

“I’m still as hungry as ever. I still have that big goal. I’d love to end my career with an ICC medal in South Africa,” insisted Parnell.

Playing for the Northern Warriors in Abu Dhabi T10, Parnell is not the only South African in town. David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Rilee Rossouw and Tabraiz Shamsi have all played in season 6 of the tournament here, and Parnell insists the format offers an entirely different challenge.

“T10 is so unpredictable. You have to be really smart with every ball, especially when you think about how to set up your ball,” Left Arm said.

“It’s easier in terms of clarity, but playing different opponents at different times and in different wickets every day challenges you and you have to adapt and show those different skills.

“I’ve been given the responsibility of bowling. It’s something I’ve always loved to do anyway, but you have to switch on every pitch because people basically come out and try to kill you. They just want to ruin it. you.”

As long as the competitive drive remains, Parnell plans to continue the globe-trotting lifestyle in the Franchise League and Proteas.

“Once I stop enjoying it, I hang up my boots. As long as I’m having fun, learning every day and feeling like I can get better, I’m going to keep playing.”