Thando Ntini, the son of the renowned South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, has opened up about his father’s experiences with racism within the national cricket team of South Africa. Makhaya Ntini, a cricket legend from the Rainbow Nation, holds an impressive record, having played 101 Tests, 173 ODIs, and 10 T20Is. His wicket tally stands at 390 in the Test, 266 in the ODI, and 6 in the T20I. He concluded his international career with the Proteas in January 2011 at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
As South Africa’s first Black cricketer, Makhaya Ntini delivered numerous game-changing performances, earning admiration from both fans and experts. Despite his on-field success, he had to navigate challenges, showing resilience and determination to gain recognition and respect. Thando Ntini disclosed that his father, however, doesn’t enthusiastically recount his experiences with the national team, as he encountered exclusion and isolation due to racism within the team.
Thando about His Father Facing Racism:
Having participated in 21 first-class matches, Thando Ntini revealed that he too has faced racism. He recounted an incident where he almost faced exclusion from an Under-19 camp due to such discriminatory practices.
While talking about how his father faced racism in the team, he said, “ He was constantly fighting for his life in that team, every day. Being the only (black) guy there, it sucks to hear [when he says] he can how many times he was invited to a dinner with the gents…..Even though he was good enough.”
Makhaya Ntini Shares His Experience:
In 2020, South African bowler Lungi Ngidi called upon the cricket community to unite against racism. After this, Makhaya Ntini made shocking revelations about the racism he faced throughout his career. He revealed that he was deliberately ignored by teammates, not even receiving invitations to team dinners.
He revealed, “I was forever lonely at the time. Nobody knocked on my door to go for dinner. Teammates used to make plans right in front of me, skipping me out. When walking into the breakfast room, nobody came to sit with me,” Ntini had said in an interview with ”South African Broadcasting Corporation”.
He also added, “We wear the same uniform and sing the same national anthem, but I had to overcome (the isolation). I used to see the driver of the team bus, give him my bag, and then I would run to the cricket ground. I did the same thing on the way back, I just ran back instead”.
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