Proteas fast bowler Kwena Maphaka says he likes nothing more than to get in the faces of batsmen and to wys them wie’s baas with ball in hand.
The left-arm speedster made history when he became the youngest player to debut for South Africa in the recently-concluded three-match T20I series against the West Indies when he took the field at the age of 18 years and 137 days.
In doing so, Maphaka beat the record held by Victor Mpitsang, who made his SA ODI debut in 1999 at 18 and 314 days.
But while he is still a teen and in school and prepared for his matric exams while on tour in the Caribbean – with the Proteas losing the final match by eight wickets on Tuesday night for a 3-0 series whitewash – Maphaka won’t skrik for the grootmanne opposing him with a big wooden bat in hand.
Instead, he says: “I like being in batsmen’s face, I like creating a battle, even with no words. I like the stare downs, it keeps me in the game and lets them know that I’m not here to play around. It is a statement I like to make.”
Maphaka, who says playing for the Proteas was a dream of him since the age of six or seven, models his game on a West Indian pace legend – Curtly Ambrose.
Talking about the tall West Indian, who played 98 Tests and 176 ODIs for islanders, Maphaka says: “One of my cricketing role models has to be Sir Curtly Ambrose and I was lucky enough in 2022 to meet him because he was the bowling coach of West Indies U19 when we [the South Africa U19 team] played against them. The way he went about the game, his aggression and control [is what I loved most about him].”
While the Proteas are on their way back to Mzansi with their tails properly between their legs after the 3-0 series defeat, Maphaka will be full of confidence after his international debut, as he gets ready to cross his next big hurdle – writing his matric exams.