Tony Greig is regarded as one of the greatest cricket commentators of all time. One of the most enthusiastic announcers, he would catch the attention of listeners with his unique accent and voice modulations. The South African born former England Captain could bring excitement to the dullest phases of a game and he was renowned for his practice of using a car key or pen to give pitch reports. Greig once explained that (pardon the pun) the key to commentating was “having the ability to read the game in black and white, then turn it into a story – full of the greys of passion, wonder and joy.”
Barnard Attorney, Wessel Herbst, always wanted to be a sport commentator when he grew up, but he ended up studying law. Ironically, some of the skills required by his favourite sports pundits are exactly the same in his law career. The ability to understand the boundaries of the law, the strategies required for a good outcome and the passion and enthusiasm to communicate with clients will serve him well. “Funnily enough, my father is an Internal Auditor and he believes that everything is either right or wrong,” muses Wessel. “Whereas my mother, a Textile Designer, believes that there are more grey areas in between and that there’s always some way to finding the best possible solution. So, I think the desire to seek solutions and to assist people with their problems drew me to my career.”
Wessel grew up in Pretoria and attended Hoërskool Oos-Moot before studying Law at the University of Pretoria and UNISA respectively. “At school I spent more time on the sport field than in the books; and contrary to popular opinion, I never spent a day in detention!” he laughs. In his off time, Wessel plays club cricket for CBCOB in Groenkloof. “I would call it leisure when I’m off the field, but once I’m on the field, it’s ‘no more Mr. Nice Guy!’”
Wessel is completing his Articles in the Commercial Litigation department at Barnard Inc. His colleagues describe him as a bit of a “jack-in-the-box” – someone whose likes to be around other people and who loves to laugh. Wessel returns to compliment, “From day one, I was made to feel like part of the family. We are all part of the Barnard Inc family and we each have our part in its success.”
With his passion, drive and skill for ‘reading the game’ in his career, no doubt one day we’ll be able to use one of Greig’s famous lines to describe Wessel’s looming success. “He’s blazed that one through the off-side field… go and fetch that!”
