Hat-trick hero: Great to do well for the team

“HAVE we found our new superstar?” That was the question from former South Africa captain and fast bowler Shaun Pollock on new Proteas pace bowling sensation Kagiso Rabada’s heroics in the first ODI against Bangladesh here in Dhaka.

Pollock was on commentary duty while Rabada tore up the record books on his ODI debut that helped propel South Africa to an eight-wicket victory at the Shera Bangla National Stadium.

The 20-year-old from Joburg claimed six wickets for just 16 runs to leapfrog West Indian Fidel Edwards’s 6/22 against Zimbabwe back in 2003.

It was comfortably the best figures by a South African on ODI debut too, eclipsing Proteas legend and former national team bowling coach Allan Donald’s 5/29 achieved in South Africa’s first official ODI 24 years ago in India.

It bettered Makhaya Ntini’s previous national ODI record for the best bowling performance by a Protea in an ODI.

Rabada’s performance was even more phenomenal as his figures also included a hat-trick, and in the process he became only the third South African with the distinction of claiming three wickets in successive balls in an ODI, following his current Proteas bowling mentor Charl Langeveldt and teammate JP Duminy.

Rabada’s hat-trick victims were Tamim Iqbal (bowled), Litton Das (caught) and Mahmudullah (lbw).

He later claimed the wickets of Soumya Sakar, Bangladeshi captain Mashrafe Mortaza and Jubair Hoosain to complete his half-dozen.

“It is great to do well for your team and put them in a position to win the game,” Rabada said afterwards.

“The hat-trick ball … I didn’t know where to bowl. I was thinking bouncer or just a normal good-length ball, but then I just went yorker. I missed it by miles. It was a bit of fluke but I will take it.”

Proteas captain Hashim Amla praised the youngster, saying he was “outstanding”, but it was Rabada who was grateful to his senior teammates for assisting him during this fledgling stage of his international career.

“I think it is important to keep the game simple and you just work on hitting a good line and length,” he said.

“South Africa is one of the best teams in the world with some of the best players in the world. You would be stupid if you did not want to be a part of this environment.

“There is so much to learn and I have already learnt so much in my short time with the team.”