Dane Vilas remembers playing Allan Donald in Hansie Cronje biopic

Dane Vilas remembers playing Allan Donald in Hansie Cronje biopic

Dane Vilas will serve the role of wicketkeeper-batsman for South Africa in India vs South Africa 2015 Test series. Vilas is replacing Quinton de Kock for wicketkeeper’s position. The right-hand wicketkeeper-batsman was approached by Regardt van den Bergh in 2007 for feature film which was released on 2008. Bergh is a South African film and television actor, director and screenwriter. Vilas played Allan Donald (former South Africa fast bowler) in the film which was based on the life and times of former South African captain Hansie Cronje. Cronje captained the South African side in ICC World Cup 1999. Cronje was good all-rounder, a decent aggressive batsman and a medium-pace bowler. READ: Hearing on infamous 2000 match-fixing scandal to be held on May 20

According to a report by Indian Express, Vilas found acting to be a bit difficult job since he was never exposed to it. Add to it his director Bergh was a perfectionist and a strict disciplinarian. The producer-director wanted perfect zeal and aggression from the wicketkeeper during the shooting. Allan Donald was known for his aggressive behaviour on the field and if Vilas was to do justice to Donald’s character he had to get in Donald’s shoes to bring that assertiveness and aggression in his acting. Bergh recalls Vilas’s difficulties, “There were quite a few re-takes to get that same passion which Donald had. All fast bowlers, you look at, for example Dale Steyn, whenever they get wicket you see that passion. But to get same passion on screen is very very difficult especially from a wicket-keeper.” READ: Dane Vilas century puts Cape Cobras in command

Vilas reminisces, “It took me 10-20 takes to get the same feeling of taking international wicket. Been a cricketer you will only get that feel when you are on field, the emotions come out during competitions. To replay that when you are not in that moment is very very difficult. Hopefully, I did ok, it wasn’t too bad.” During the shooting Bergh was quoted saying to Vilas, “You need more passion in your eyes, more aggression.” Vilas was just 22-year-old when he acted in this film titled ‘Hansie’. He also underwent an audition for this film.

Shooting is still fresh in Vilas’s mind, “You have to look at the camera and speak some lines. Luckily I had some experience of giving interviews with reporters and that helped.” Talking of Cronje he is among a select few cricketers from the last two decades who struggled a lot during the end of his career. He was found guilty of match-fixing on a tour to India. This was a few years before he died in a plane crash in a mountain range en route to his hometown George (in South Africa) which is a province in Western Cape.

Talking of Cronje Vilas says, “I was very young when all this [match-fixing allegations and his untimed death]  happened to him. What he did for South Africa was unbelievable. How he uniformed the team, he was absolute legend in everyone eyes. What came then was completely shock. Those players who had played with him, really respected him and really loved him. Nobody thought that the guy like him will be involved in such kind of that. It [match-fixing] is a dark side of our sport. That [Hansie Cronje episode] shows that anybody can be involved in it. Each player has to be so careful. Nobody than thought that such kind of thing can happen. Unfortunately things got so accelerated so quickly for Hansie that it went out of control.”