Neil Douglas McKenzie
Born: 24 November 1975, Johannesburg
Major Teams: South Africa, Gauteng, Northerns, Transvaal.
Known As: Neil McKenzie
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium
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Profile:
Popular, mildly eccentric and unassuming, Neil McKenzie has carved himself a place in the South African middle order after a less than promising start as an opening bat in Sri Lanka in 2000. From good cricketing stock - father Kevin was a carefree middle-order batsman who represented South Africa during the rebel era - Neil captained both the South African Schools and under 19 teams before falling under the influence of former New Zealand captain Ken Rutherford at Gauteng. He made maiden Test and ODI centuries against New Zealand and Sri Lanka respectively during the summer of 200/01 and was able to take advantage of the confusion over the roles of Daryll Cullinan and Jonty Rhodes to establish himself as a more-or-less permanent fixture in the South African Test and ODI teams. Neat and economical at the crease, McKenzie is particularly strong on the leg side and although questions have been asked of his ability to cope with the very best spinners, he has met and overcome each challenge in his career to date. (Peter Robinson - December 2001)

Source Cricinfo
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Player profile:
One of the world's more superstitious cricketers, McKenzie's nervous mannerisms at the crease and in the dressing room belie a fiercely determined and richly talented player.

Now established in the middle order after scoring his maiden Test hundred against New Zealand in Port Elizabeth last summer, he has improved with virtually every innings.

Like his father, Kevin, who was part of the Transvaal "Mean Machine" in the 1980s, he is particularly powerful pulling off the back foot, but is more than a one-dimensional strokeplayer.

One of the team's thinkers, he captained South African Schools in 1994.

Source Abc.
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Having been touted for higher honours from the age of 19, McKenzie made a scratchy start to Test cricket, averaging eight after the tour of Sri Lanka in 2000/01.
His ODI career also got off to a stuttering start, but a 58 in the Sharjah final against Pakistan in 2000 seemed to settle his nerves.

>McKenzie went on to smash 120 off just 135 balls at the end of that year in the East London ODI against Sri Lanka.

Very strong on the leg side, he is also one of the most superstitious players in the game.

The toilet seats in the dressing room reportedly have to be up before he goes out to bat; he will not step on the crease line while batting and his partner is not allowed to approach into his half of the pitch.

>Father Kevin was an aggressive batsman for Transvall and would have played for his country were it not for isolation.

Source  BCC news
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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
Source www.wisdom.com