JP Duminy falls for Jan Braai

Or more specifically, Jan Braai’s cooking. JP Duminy, South Africa’s flamboyant left-handed batsman, took some time out from preparations for the Airtel T20 Champions League – in which he’ll be representing his Indian Premier League team, the Mumbai Indians – to have a crack at a braai with Jan. You might have spotted an earlier post on the subject, in which Jan Braai referred rather flippantly to my Justin Timberlake beard (eight months, three days worth of growth); just how smitten JP is with Jan’s braaing requires further attention.

The picture explains quite graphically just how well the seared rump steak with garlic butter is being appreciated; what it doesn’t show is the boerewors (from a confidential source) and lamb chops that disappeared moments later, JP assuring us that garlic butter rump steak was crucial to mastering the cover drive, and formed part of Brian Lara’s daily diet. It might just become part of the Springbok diet as well, JP having spread the gospel of Jan Braai’s magic to his mate Bryan Habana; and it could also become a feature of team dinners for the Mumbai Indians…
…because rumour has that, on JP’s advice, the IPL team is tabling a big money bid for Jan Braai to come on board as team chef. That would all but seal victory for the team in the Airtel T20 Champions League, not to mention keeping a precociously talented left-hander extremely happy. The pay-off line for the cricket tournament is a simple ‘I like it!’; if you spot Jan in a Mumbai jersey any time soon, you know the deal’s been signed, with ‘I like it’ the team’s new catchphrase every time the fire is lit for dinner. All just rumour, of course, particularly when you factor in Jan Braai’s three favourite cricketers: Roger Federer, Ernie Els and Wayne Rooney. JP, you’ve got some work to do.