Humble Andile aiming high
WHILE cricketers often want to be remembered for their on-field exploits, young Dolphins allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo, 20, wants humility to be his standout trait next to his cricketing ability.
It spoke volumes of the youngster’s maturity and willingness to take responsibility. After all, he is the same fast-medium bowler former Dolphins coach Lance Klusener entrusted with the death bowling at the franchise last season in limited-overs matches.
“Being humble is a case of knowing you’re privileged to be in the position you’re in,” Phehlukwayo said.
“I’ve also learnt there are things in life that could have gone your way and there are things that may have missed you.
“When things go your way, they tend to skyrocket, but when they do not, nothing seems to happen. At the end of the day, you need to be the same person, regardless of what happens in your career.”
Having worked with Proteas bowling coach Charl Langeveldt this week, it should not come as a surprise if Phehlukwayo is used at the back end of the innings in the forthcoming one-day internationals (ODI) against Australia and Ireland.
Phehlukwayo never let Klusener’s praise go to his head, but he uses his mentor’s career as a base from which he wants to establish his own legend. After all, he wears the No 69 shirt that Klusener, nicknamed “Zulu” because of his fluency in the language, made famous at international level.
“I once heard Lance say that I’m a better player at my age than he was at the same stage and that’s the kind of inspiration that I want to use to fuel my game,” he said.
“If I don’t better his performances, I hope at least I’ll be able to match them because he often was the guy who was in the thick of things for South Africa. If they were winning games, he was there and even if they were losing, he’d drag them close. It’s that kind of ownership and big match temperament that I want to have.”
Phehlukwayo’s middle name may be Lucky, but to say he is fortunate to be where he is now would be begrudging his God-given talent.
The Glenwood High School old boy, the son of a domestic worker, went through all the representative cricket stages before having to make the choice between cricket and hockey.
The last KwaZulu-Natal cricketer faced with that difficult choice was one Jonathan Neil Rhodes, but willow-wielding prevailed for the good of South African cricket.
There is also the small matter of the allrounder legacy KwaZulu-Natal cricket has gifted South Africa in terms of Klusener and Shaun Pollock.
That lineage drives Phehlukwayo to want to be the best, but the Margate-born left-handed batsman wants to learn every craft of his game, including the mental part that separates the grain from the chaff.
“I’m at a young age at the moment and there are things that I still need to learn with experience. There are things that I still need to understand better, but I’ve got the right people around me who will assist. With the good people and my family around me, my everyday life is good, I want to better my life and play the sport that I love,” Phehlukwayo said.
“It’s also good the province has been the gold standard of allrounders in the country, and that shows the amount of talent and depth that is available in this part of the country. There are other capable allrounders in the country. It’s not a case of us not getting another Lance Klusener or Shaun Pollock but the depth is there. It’s just a case of finding it.”
Even though Phehlukwayo was part of the victorious South Africa Under-19 World Cup side in Dubai two years ago, he bubbled under as the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Aiden Markram, Jason Smith and Yaseen Vallie spearheaded the charge to the first piece of junior silverware.
It made Phehlukwayo understand OUTSTANDING: Dolphins and Proteas allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo was part of the victorious SA Under-19 World Cup side in Dubai two years ago
I’m at a young age at the moment and there are things that I still need to learn with experience Young kids need to understand you play the game for the love of it and it’s not determined by [the skin] colour
the value of hard work even though he had made his first-class debut for KwaZulu-Natal coastal against Western Province at Newlands in January that year.
It was an inauspicious start as he recorded a pair and took 3/69 in an innings-and-155-run hammering.
Rabada’s rapid rise from junior teammate to Proteas senior is not something that fazes the nerveless Phehlukwayo. At a stage where South African cricket is in need of more transformation heroes next to Rabada and Temba Bavuma, Phehlukwayo is aware of the societal demands on black cricketers.
“Kagiso is a good role model and inspiration to others but it’s just good seeing a friend and a teammate go through the processes very quickly, but also dominating at the highest level. It’s something that I wanted to do and also wanted to play for South Africa because I can also strive to get that achievement,” Phehlukwayo said.
“Young kids just need to understand you play the game for the love of it and it’s not a game that’s determined by colour. Anybody can play the game and it’s not about the colour of your skin and in this country, we are blessed to have so many races who love the game. If the skill, talent and the ability is there, it doesn’t matter who plays. The game has to be expanded to all cultures.”