Former South African cricketer Makhaya Ntini recently praised the exceptional performance of star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada in the first Test against India. Rabada’s remarkable display in the first innings, where he bowled 17 overs, took five wickets, and conceded 44 runs, earned him accolades from Ntini.
Expressing admiration for Rabada’s consistent contributions to the national team, Ntini acknowledged him as one of South Africa’s premier talents. In light of Rabada’s recent achievement of crossing 500 wickets across formats for South Africa, Ntini emphasized the potential for even greater success if the team played more Test matches annually.
Makhaya Ntini highlighted the challenge faced by players like Rabada when competing in a limited number of Test matches per year, expressing concern about whether Rabada could sustain his performance until reaching significant milestones.
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“He is already up there. When you talk about those guys, when you talk about those bowlers, they have passed the 400-mark and KG is chasing the 300-mark. But we have got a massive problem,” Makhaya Ntini stated in an interview with IndiaToday. He questioned the feasibility of Rabada maintaining peak form given the limited number of Test matches provided to South Africa.
Ntini also underscored the importance of prioritizing national representation over lucrative franchise cricket leagues. Drawing attention to Rabada’s continued participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) despite his commitment to Test cricket, Ntini urged young players, citing Gerald Coetzee as an example, to prioritize their national duties over financial incentives from leagues.
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“No! Your country is your priority. Take the example of Kagiso. How many Test matches has he played and he still continues to play IPL. If Gerald Coetzee today thinks that he is getting a million rands and what he should do now, that will be his biggest mistake,” Makhaya Ntini emphasized, emphasizing the significance of representing one’s country amid the allure of lucrative T20 leagues.
