- Proteas captain Dean Elgar says all-rounder Marco Jansen is a huge talent and a positive presence in the changing room.
- Jansen took five for 35 at The Oval despite the Proteas' nine-wicket loss against England, which saw them lose the Test series 2-1.
- Elgar is impressed by the quiet 22-year-old's mentality as he wears no baggage.
Proteas skipper Dean Elgar hailed all-rounder Marco Jansen's mentality following South Africa's loss in the third Test against England at The Oval on Monday.
Jansen was one of the few Proteas consistently performing in England, playing only in two of the three Tests after being dropped in Manchester.
The 22-year-old took nine wickets, including a Test-best five for 35 at The Oval, and scored a handy 82 runs.
Elgar hailed Jansen's attitude and appreciated how the youngster approached the game since he made his debut last December.
"He is a massive talent, also young and inexperienced, but I think he has a different mentality to the way he approaches the game, which is nice to have around," Elgar told reporters on Monday.
"Seeing the way he plays, he has got bites of the cherry since he is an all-rounder. So if the one discipline lets him down, he can sort it out with the other one.
"But I do think he approaches the game with a positive mindset and he doesn't have any baggage or cobwebs in his closet."
The first of many Marco ??#BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/Y24Ark65by
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) September 12, 2022
Elgar added that Jansen brings a calming influence to the change room.
"He is pretty raw and never really failed yet at a young age, so he can play with that open and positive mindset," said Elgar.
"It's nice to have him in the changeroom and listen to his views sometimes, he is very quiet. But he has got some interesting ideas sometimes, which can work for him really well."
Jansen was selected as a travelling reserve for next month's T20 World Cup in Australia, set to take place from 16 October to 13 November.