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Dwaine Pretorius cricketing career was just beginning when it almost ended. It was 2008, he was 18 years old and had been named in South Africas Under-19 World Cup squad, but he never got to the event. On the first of January that year, Pretorius tore the cartilage in his right knee and decided to study instead of play sport, at least for a while.I realised that sport is unpredictable and it would be a good idea to get my career sorted so that I would have something if cricket didnt work out, Pretorius, who has been named in South Africas squad for the one-off ODI against Ireland, told ESPNcricinfo. But my dad said that after I got my degree, he would financially support for a year or two to see if I could make it as a cricketer.Pretorius enrolled in an Accounting degree course at the University of Pretoria and for three years concentrated on his academics. He played for the student team but never ventured into anything more serious until he graduated. Even then, he contemplated furthering his education to become a chartered accountant (CA) before remembering the deal he had made with his father. We went on a family holiday and I said to my dad that when I am lying on my deathbed, Im not going to think that I should have tried to become a CA but I might think that I should have tried to become a cricketer.To pursue that ambition, Pretorius returned to his home province, North West, even though the teams coach, Monty Jacobs, warned him that there was little chance of breaking into the team. Monty said to me the squad was pretty settled and it would be tough to get a game but that I should come through and we could see, Pretorius said.The seeing, meant exactly that. For months, Pretorius trained and watched his team-mates play but did not take the field himself. It was very frustrating, he said. I felt like I was doing nothing and I started to wonder whether that was the best decision for me. Every time the thought came into my head, I reminded myself that I would regret not trying.Finally, in the last game of the season, in 2011, Pretorius got a look-in. He was selected for a three-day game against Kwa-Zulu Natal Inland and went wicketless in the first innings. Things got better when his turn to bat came. He scored 53 and then took 5 for 38 to set up the teams victory. The following summer, Pretorius was a regular and made a name for himself as an allrounder in the shortest format. In five T20 matches he took six wickets at 21.50 and scored 179 runs including two fifties at 59.66. He was awarded the T20 Amateur Cricketer of the Year award at CSAs 2012 prize-giving and was included in the Lions franchise squad to play in the Champions League T20 but his knee had other ideas.He suffered a second injury and required major surgery. At 23, he again thought his career had ended but after fighting his way back, he found a way to resuscitate it by changing his approach. Instead of trying to get quicker, he decided to get cleverer.In my rookie years I was obsessed with pace and I felt like I would never play for South Africa if I didnt reach 140kph. But after that, I shifted my focus, he said. I thought about what makes Vernon Philander so good as a player and I asked guys at the Lions and the answer they gave me was that he never misses his spot. In business terms, I thought that was part of the market I would carve out for myself.Pretorius put his efforts into accuracy, an awayswinger, and developing his all round game. He spent hours with Lions bowling coach Gordan Parsons and in the 2014-15 season was rewarded with a franchise contract. He became an important member of the Lions side and in the following year was judged the South African Cricketers Associations most valuable player across all formats. He was included in the South African A side to play in a quadrangular series in Australia this winter and is now one of three new names in the ODI squad, alongside Andile Phehlukwayo and Temba Bavuma.Unlike the other two, Pretorius isnt part of the squad for the five-match series against Australia that follows the Ireland game. Theres nothing I can do now, no more performances I can put before those matches, so its just about enjoying the experience, he said. It will give me a toe in the door and hopefully I will be able to show what kind of a player I am.So what kind of player is that? In his own words: A genuine allrounder who can offer something different. I want to be in a position to win games with bat or ball. I dont want people to say if Dwaine gets runs, we will be lucky. I want people to expect me to get runs and take wickets.South Africa are still searching for a two-in-one player they can rely on regularly and Pretorius will be up against Wayne Parnell, Chris Morris and Phehlukwayo in trying to claim the spot. Competition for the allrounder role is stiff but I think if I can get my batting solid, I can put some of those guys under pressure for their places, he said. But at the same time, I am not focused on trying to be better than someone else but on trying to be my best.For Pretorius, that means ensuring he puts himself in a position not just to play ODI cricket but to play Test cricket. That would be the ultimate. Maybe if I can score 500 or 600 first-class runs in a season, I will come into contention for a Test spot, he said. And so, at 27, Pretorius finds his career is beginning again. Wholesale Wild Jerseys . 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Though the hunters of England are truly now the hunted, manager Claudio Ranieri has stuck to his pragmatic ways as champions Leicester City begin defence of their title Saturday at KC Stadium against Hull City Tigers to kick off the 2016-17 Premier League season.And that means the first benchmark Ranieri has set for the Foxes is again 40 points despite their incredibly amplified profile following their unlikely title run and upcoming European adventures in their first Champions League appearance.Forty points, forty points, Ranieri responded when asked about the teams goals following Leicester Citys 2-1 loss to FA Cup winners Manchester United in the Community Shield match at Wembley Stadium last Sunday, using his fingers to make the 4 and the 0 for added emphasis as reporters chuckled.Dont laugh. Im starting with the same philosophy and the same humility … what we achieved, it was fantastic. But now, forty points. Forty points is the target, and then we will see how many months less to the end of the season.Leicester City were the story of European football last season, bucking 5,000-to-1 odds to win their first Premier League title in franchise history. The Foxes finished 10 points clear of runners-up Arsenal and became just the sixth team to lift the trophy in the Premier League era, and the first outsiders since Blackburn Rovers in 1995.With the title came the spoils, including their first taste of high-calibre international play during the summer. Leicester City participated in the International Champions Cup and won one of their three matches -- beating Celtic in a penalty shootout before defeats to European powers Paris-St. Germain and Barcelona by a combined 8-2 scoreline.But success always comes with a price. In addition to re-working Jamie Vardys contract for the second time in less than a year, Leicester City continue to sweat out transfer rumours regarding 2016 PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez and lost midfield engine NGolo Kante, the apple of Antonio Contes eye as the new Chelsea manager reshapes the 2015 champions.The good news, though, is Kante is so far the only noticeable departure from this championship-winning side. And the Foxes went about their summer transfer business similar to seasons past -- hoping shrewd under-the-radar moves will reap dividends similar to how Vardy, Mahrez and Kante became the fulcrum of this unlikely champion squad.Nampalys Mendy was brought in from French side Nice with the hope he can provide some of the box-to-box coverage Mahrez did, and Rainieri -- who signed a new four-year contract Wednesday -- is quite familiar with the 24-year-old, having coached him during a brief spell at Monaco.Leicester also added Nigeria international Ahmed Musa, who scored 15 goals in all competitions for CSKA Moscow last season and showed plenty of pace in his appearance off the bench in Sundays 2-1 loss to FA Cup winners Manchester United at Wembley Stadium and scored twice in the loss to Barcelona. Still, Musa likely will start the season behind Shinji Okazaki on the striker depth chart but will have a chance to make his mark as the Foxes juggle doomestic and continental commitments.ddddddddddddVardy scored Leicesters goal at Wembley, showing no signs of resting on the laurels of his 24-goal season in 2015-16 and being one of the few bright spots in Englands disastrous European Championship campaign this summer. While disappointed with the loss to United, newcomer Luis Hernandez thinks the team can use the defeat as incentive to start the season with three points.I think it is important that we have the hurt in the next game Saturday, said Hernandez, who came over on a free transfer from Spains Sporting de Gijon, to LCFC TV. I think it is important to start the season well after last season. I hope we can play well and get the win.I thought the team played a good game and we showed that again this season we can compete with the Premier Leagues big clubs.No one, though, will confuse the Hull City Tigers with one of those big clubs, and they will be hard-pressed to become the first team in the Premier League era to open the season with a victory over the reigning champions and end a 23-match winless squad among those sides (0-4-19). Hull City are back in the top flight after fighting their way to promotion via playoff following their fourth-place finish in the Championship.But there is plenty of drama surrounding the Tigers. Steve Bruce -- the most successful manager in the clubs history -- shockingly resigned last month after the team failed to help itself in the summer transfer window as his relationship with vice-chairman Ehab Allam deteriorated beyond saving.Mohamed Diame, who scored the goal that secured Hulls promotion, opted to leave for Championship side Newcastle United in belief the Magpies will win promotion while the Tigers get relegated for the second time in three seasons. That sentiment has been echoed by oddsmakers, who have made Hull the most likely candidate to finish in the bottom three.The Allam family, who have few supporters among the fan base, is reportedly in negotiations to sell the team, but has yet to finalise any deal with a potential buyer. Caretaker manager Mike Phelan is trying to limit the distractions, but even he doesnt have a deal beyond Saturdays match against the reigning champs.Weve done some homework on Leicester but they are what they are -- theyre the Champions of the Premier League, Phelan told the teams official website after Hull wrapped up their preseason with a 2-1 loss to Italian side Torino in Austria. But were going into this having earned the right to be in the Premier League and we shouldnt forget the work that was put in last season to get there.Both teams came through their respective preseason schedules unscathed with respect to injuries and should field their first-choice starting XIs.The teams last met in the Premier League during the 2014-15 season, when Leicester City took four of a possible six points. Mahrez accounted for the match-winner in a 1-0 victory at KC Stadium before the teams played to a scoreless draw in the return encounter. ' ' '