STARS ’ SEMENYA SLOWLY COPING AFTER TRAGEDY
ICC rankings confirm SA cricket slump
‘IT was not easy,” Platinum Stars defender Thabiso Semenya said on Monday night, after making his first appearance since his wife tragically died in a car accident almost two months ago.
Not for one second on the pitch did it look like Semenya has been affected by the death of his life partner, Thandeka Nzimakwe.
He defended well, alongside Gift Sithole, and played an integral part in Stars ’ 2-1 victory over Orlando Pirates. Sithole scored the opener, while Ndumiso Mabena netted what proved to be the winner.
Semenya, 33, dedicated his performance to his wife after returning to the pitch and doing what he enjoys most.
“I got support from my family and my teammates. They always encouraged me, but it still was not easy. I would dedicate it [the performance] to my wife,” said Semenya after the match.
“The coach [Cavin Johnson] asked me three games ago if I am ready to play and I said not yet. But in this game Isaac [Nhlapo] was suspended and the coach asked me to help the team and I said no problem. The coach and I have a father and son relationship.”
Semenya was not part of the match squad for the Chiefs game and had driven to the ground to watch his teammates. On his way to the stadium, he was overtaking a truck on the highway near the stadium when another car attempted to pass on his right, but struck Semenya ’ s vehicle.
His wife was flung from the car as it overturned and it landed on top of her, killing her instantly.
Johnson praised Semenya and the team for defending well against Bucs.
“Credit has to go to him as well. It was difficult and we were always asking when we should bring him in because the accident happened here before the game against Chiefs. And you don ’ t know if that affects him positively or negatively. He is doing a lot of work outside football to help him cope with this time in his life.” THE sting of SA ’ s decline as a Test team was delivered with a slap yesterday when the International Cricket Council released the rankings.
Having been No 1 as recently as January, SA have crashed to sixth place. That means fifth-placed New Zealand will, technically, start as favourites in their series in South Africa in August.
But are they really no better than sixth on a ladder of nine sides? That makes them, officially, a below average Test team.
These rude realities are confirmation of what cricketminded South Africans have known for months: SA are in decline. What is selection convenor Linda Zondi, a significant figure in the looming cause of righting what will seem a wrong for many South Africans, going to do?
“We have to accept the fact that the team has been in transition and that we need to give time to the players we have after that process,” Zondi said.
“Hopefully the senior players will take their rightful place in the team and perform after their [off-season] break and hopefully the young players will gel into the side.
“Some of the players we ’ ve introduced during this transition period have shown good form, players like Stephen Cook, Temba Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada.
“But it ’ s a worry because it ’ s been a long time since we were No 6. We need to set the goal of getting back to the top three and then back to No 1.
“AB [de Villiers] has just come in as captain and he has to build the team. We need to give him a chance. We need to support him and also back the younger players.”