UMaharaj ubheke esicongweni
UFUNA ukubalwa nezinkakha zekhilikithi umdlali wamaProteas uKeshav Maharaj osethubeni lokungena emlandweni wabadlali abathathe amawikhethi angu-50 besadlale imidlalo emincane.
NgoLwesihlanu uMaharaj uqokwe waba ngumdlali ofikayo ovelele emiklomelweni iKZN Sports Awards e-International Convention Centre (ICC). Ngemuva kwemiklomelo uphumele obala ngesifiso sakhe sokubalwa nezingwazi yize ebengazi ukuthi usesondele kumawikhethi angu-50.
“Ukukhuluma iqiniso bengingazi nokuthi sengithathe amawikhethi angu-43. Mina bengilokhu ngishwiba nje ngaphandle kokugxila esibalweni samawikhethi esengiwathathile. Ngifuna ukubonga abashwibi abashwiba ngesivinini. Babambe elikhulu iqhaza ekutheni ngibe lapho engikhona njengamanje. “Bebenza kahle uma beshwiba okwenze umsebenzi wami wokuthatha amawikhethi waba lula. Bengingazi nokuthi umdlali othathe amawikhethi angu50 ngokushesha kwamthatha imidlalo emingaki. Ngeke ngigxile kakhulu kwirekhodi kodwa ngingajabula ukubalwa nezingwazi ezifana no-Alan Donald noVernon Philander. Ngenhlanhla enkulu uPhilander ngidlala naye. Uma amawikhethi ami ezosiza iqembu liye phambili ngizojabula kakhulu,” kusho uMaharaj.
UPhilander nguyena ophethe irekhodi lokuthatha amawikhethi angu-50 esadlale imidlalo emincane. Kwamthatha imidlalo eyisishiyagalolunye kuphela.
Abanye abadlali baseMzansi abafinyelele kumawikhethi angu50 ngokushesha nguHJ Tayfield no-AEE Volger okwabathatha imidlalo ngu-11, kwathi uPS Heine, GA Faulkener, TM Blanckenberg, PS De Villiers noDonald kwabathatha imidlalo engu-12.
UMaharaj usedlale imidlalo engu-11 wathatha amawikhethi angu-43. Elakuleli lizodlala neBangladesh emidlalweni emibili yochungechunge lwamaTest.
“Eminyakeni emine edlule bengingazi ukuthi ngibheke kuphi. Bengiphuma ngingena eqenjini lamaDolphins. Ngathatha isinqumo sokwehlisa isisindo sami, lokhu kungisizile kakhulu. Into enhle ngami wukuthi angilona ivila. Ngikholelwa ekusebenzeni kanzima ngoba uma uzikhandla imivuzo yakhona ugcina uyitholile.
“Indlela engidla ngayo nayo sengiyayiqikelela. Kusukela ngadlala umdlalo wami wokuqala ngoNovemba ngonyaka odlule izinto zilokhu ziqhubeke njalo nokungihambela kahle. Njengamanje isifiso sami wukuthi ngibe yi-all rounder ngokuphelele. Ngifuna nokudlala kuzona zonke izinhlobo zekhilikithi,” kusho uMaharaj.
Nonyaka uMaharaj ungene ngisho naseqenjini lemidlalo yosuku olulodwa.
“Njengomdlali ngenze kahle ngesizini edlule. Ngifuna ukwakhela phezu kwaleso sisekelo. Ngizimisele ukwenza kangcono kakhulu kunangesizini edlule. Ngisebenze ngokuzikhandla ukulungiselela isizini entsha. Kuleli sonto ngizodlala uma sesibhekene namaTitans emdlalweni wezinsuku ezine,” kusho uMaharaj.
Muva nje iBangladesh ezodlala namaProteas isanda kubamba i-Australia ngo 1-1 ochungechungeni lwemidlalo emibili yamaTest. “Ngeke siyibukele phansi iBangladesh. IWest Indies ikhombisile ngesikhathi ibhekene ne-England kwiTest yesibili ukuthi alikho izwe okumele lithathwe kancane.”