LUNGI NGIDI SET TO MAKE HIS TEST DEBUT
FORMER Titans and Dolphins allrounder Pierre de Bruyn‚ who recruited Lungi Ngidi from Hilton College to Tuks Cricket Club almost five years ago‚ hopes to keep his emotions in check if the fast bowler makes his debut in the second test against India at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Saturday.
Ngidi‚ 21, who played three T20s for South Africa last year against Sri Lanka‚ was called up to the Proteas squad by coach Ottis Gibson this week.
De Bruyn said that if Ngidi was picked as a replacement for Dale Steyn‚ he would be happier than the Titans player.
“If he plays in his first test match on Saturday‚ I will definitely be the happiest man inside the stadium and probably a little bit emotional‚” De Bruyn said.
“He has come a long way since he was a little kid.
“I am abundantly happy for what he has achieved in a short time and I believe that he has a lot to offer because he is a special talent and a humble human being.”
De Bruyn said he had found out about Ngidi from former Zimbabwe allrounder Neil Johnson, who was working at Hilton College, where the Titans bowler had a scholarship.
“I made a lot of effort to convince him to move out of the province because he was not willing to leave KwaZulu-Natal.
“I went back to Durban a month later‚ sat him down again and asked him to trust me.
“I told him he would continue to study at the University of Pretoria and all his cricketing needs would be taken care of.
“Ultimately, he agreed to come to Pretoria and the rest is history‚” he said.
De Bruyn has just returned from a coaching stint with Division Two side Leicestershire in the English county championship.
“When I first saw video footage of him in action‚ my immediate reaction was that there was potential but his action was raw.
“However‚ I was convinced that we could work on his action because he had lots of potential to generate pace.
Ngidi’s former coach at Hilton College‚ Sean Carlisle‚ said he was not surprised by his rapid rise as he gave notice to his talents from the beginning.
“He came to us at the beginning of Grade 8 on a scholarship and he stayed until he finished matric‚” Carlisle said.
“He was a good kid to work with and we are very proud of what he has gone on to achieve.
“Credit must also go to the guys at Tuks who continued to look after him so that he fulfils his undoubted potential.”
Mandla Mashimbyi‚ the Titans assistant coach who also worked with Ngidi at South Africa U19 level‚ said he had shown maturity beyond his age after two major injuries.
“When the U19s won the World Cup in 2014‚ he missed that tournament due to injury and he also missed out on a possible T20 World Cup in England last year after [being] injured against Sri Lanka.”