Deliverance: Aaron a man reborn after some troubled, dark times
THERE are large swathes of 2015 and 2016 that Highveld Lions Twenty20 captain and Proteas’ limited-overs spinner Aaron Phangiso has striven to put behind him.
While fixing his bowling action hogged the headlines earlier this year, there was the significant matter of him being chucked off a flight back from India after the Proteas had won the one-day series late last year.
Most players would be bitter and even feel hard done-by, but Phangiso’s strong character doesn’t allow him to dwell on the negatives.
Having taken responsibility for his
I guess I was never going to take a step back and quit, but I wish I had a chance to explain what happened
actions, the tribulations of last season have dissipated like a stream in the heat of summer.
The only thing Phangiso would have wanted at that stage was to tell his side of the story. But quitting the game never crossed his mind.
The 32-year-old said: “I guess that I was never going to take a step back and quit, but I wish I had a chance to explain what happened. It wasn’t a case of me drinking on the flight. I just took sleeping pills before I boarded the flight after celebrating the series win and my system was messed up. It would have been different if I explained all of this at the time, but I guess that’s what transpired. The opportunity to talk didn’t present itself.
“This was something that was supposed to be kept within the group or the family because people make mistakes and I’m not the first one to do so. There have been bigger sportsmen than me who have made mistakes. I just took the advice that came from people higher up and apologised because the incident took place and I was intoxicated.”
It was the rejigging of his bowling action that caused Phangiso the most stress, especially ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup earlier this year, which he eventually took part in.
“The confusing part was that I didn’t know what to fix and I worked with everyone who was available to me in order to get things right. Having been flagged in February with the tournament taking place in March, it was stressful and there wasn’t much time to get things right. That was taxing, but I got through it,” Phangiso said.
Time with the Lions, where he has played in all formats, has given him fresh perspectives, even though the limited-overs spin bowling queue has lengthened due to Tabraiz Shamsi’s emergence as a left-arm chinaman.
Having grown up as one of five children when finances were tight, being resolute has to be part of his DNA.
It was stressful and there wasn’t much time to get things right. That was taxing, but I got through it
With the franchise still reeling from five of its senior players being involved in last season’s match-fixing scandal, a leader with ingrained mental strength and the ability to deal with crises is a necessity. This is where Phangiso feels he fits the bill perfectly.
“Coming from a background where it was tough growing up and being the breadwinner has steeled me for the challenges,” Phangiso said.
“You have to be strong to lead, survive and also know how to bounce back. Being the breadwinner at home has made the transition into the captaincy a much easier one because I know how to be strong for people.
“Leadership brings the best out of me because you’re not just responsible for yourself, but for other people.
“You’re the go-between for coaches, players and the board while you also have to deliver the results.”