Wisden overview
Neil McKenzie blossomed into a cricketer of genuine international class after breaking into the South African one-day side in 1999. He earned a reputation as one of the most superstitious players in South African domestic cricket, and although some of his more bizarre antics have been curbed since he established himself in the national side, he continues to work through a studied routine after every delivery when at the crease. After scoring a century using a bat his team-mates had taped to the ceiling as a joke in his early provincial career, McKenzie continued to stick the bat to the ceiling himself in a bid to continue his run of form. Superstitions inevitably mean less when the runs are flowing. Just like his father Kevin, a member of the all-conquering Transvaal Mean Machine of the early 1980s, the hook and pull dominate his scoring against quick bowlers on good pitches and he is probably the best exponent of attacking shots against short deliveries in the country. But McKenzie is less convincing against slow bowling, even if his mental strength and resilience are undoubted. A good bet as a captain of the future. Neil Manthorp

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