Bongani Siqoko
When Makhaya Ntini led the South African national cricket team on to the pitch in New Zealand recently, black South Africans were filled with pride.
People who could hardly tell the difference between a goalpost and a wicket were glued to their television sets to witness the lad from KwaMdingi near King William’s Town become the first black South African to don the national cricket team’s shirt.
Cricket and squash are leading the development of black achievers in sports previously dominated by whites. But it still took the United Cricket Board of South Africa’s development programme a decade to produce Ntini.
Another remarkable player the board has produced is Victor Mpitsang (18), who made waves in the cricket youth World Cup. A fast, opening bowler for the South African under-19 team, he has proved to be a thorn in the flesh of opposition batsmen. In the opening game against India, Mpitsang took three for 27, helping his team to a well- deserved win.
“He is a good boy. He has come through from the development programme with flying colours,” says Kaya Majola, chair of the cricket board’s development programme.
Mpitsang has earned the respect of the national cricket selectors. In March, he will represent South Africa in the Sir Frank Warrell Memorial Scholarship Fund, playing for the Vice-Chancellor XI in Jamaica.
Mpitsang was born in Kimberley and he went to boarding school in Bloemfontein in 1996, where his cricket skills were polished.
He plays for the Free State B side but, says the cricket board’s development officer, Niels Momberg, “we expect him to be in Free State A team next season, and we hope to see him in the national team in one or two years’ time”.
Mpitsang had no interest in sport as a youngster, but played cricket with his cousin who was crazy about the game. If he makes his senior debut next year, he will be the second and the youngest black to play in the senior team, as Ntini made his debut at 20.