Ngam joins Warriors,

AT THE turn of the millennium a strapping 21-year-old from Middledrift in the Eastern Cape charged in from the Golf Course End at the Wanderers on Test debut.

Within a couple of overs he had had two catches dropped at slip before finishing the day with two scalps for 34. At the other end, his mate from Mdingi – also in the Eastern Cape – collected three wickets, giving hope that South Africa had not only discovered two genuine fast bowling talents, but also a narrative to change the face of the game in this once-divided country.

Unfortunately only one – Makhaya “The Mdingi Express” Ntini – went on to scale the heights a nation hoped for by claiming 390 wickets over the course of a 101-Test career. The other, Mfuneko Ngam, who was arguably quicker and more hostile, only played a further two Tests before injury curtailed his international career.

To his credit, Ngam did not sulk. He did not bemoan his rotten luck, nor did he feel envious of the greater fame and accolades that came the way of Ntini. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and went to work at the University of Fort Hare in search of developing first himself into a Level 4 coach – the highest qualification in the country – before transferring this knowledge to the young players in the region.

This conscientious approach was finally rewarded yesterday when the 39-year-old was appointed as the assistant coach at the Warriors franchise.

“We believe local is lekker,” Warriors chief executive Mark Williams told the media. “I don’t need to sit here and tell you of the pedigree of this man (Ngam). He is engrained in the Eastern Cape, understands the cricket culture and philosophy of the Eastern Cape and the Warriors. He is responsible for a lot of the youngsters we have in our squad.”

Ngam has certainly played a pivotal role in the development of the likes of Jerry Nqolo and others at the Warriors and is excited at the opportunity to work full time in a professional environment.

“It feels good to be back home,” he said. “I have been watching the Warriors on TV, and they have been playing a great brand of cricket. I am really excited to be part of this journey. We are all working towards one goal: developing players.

“People always think coaching is an easy job, if you’re a good player, you can coach. That’s not always true. I learnt a lot at Fort Hare, and to get players to play at their best. It was good experience and now I’m coming back home. I believe in young players to take us forward. But young players alone can’t do it. It is nice to see there is experience around them too.”

Kolpak players Simon Harmer and Colin Ackerman have been retained even though Cricket South Africa will no longer foot the bill for their services.