Following a successful and almost perfect ICC Cricket U19 World Cup tournament, South African bowling sensation Kwena Maphaka says he draws his inspiration from Proteas star bowler Kagiso Rabada.
Maphaka, 17, raised the bar high at the recently concluded U19 world cup that was held in South Africa, where Australia beat India in the final.
Despite missing out on the ultimate prize, the pace bowler was named Player of the Tournament after taking the most wickets (21) – just one shy of the standing record set by Enamul Haque Jr of Bangladesh back in 2014.
Dubbed as the next big thing in South African cricket, Maphaka said his style of play and bowling prowess plummets from Rabada’s incredible breakthrough to the SA cricket scene.
“When I was younger I definitely looked up to Dale Steyn a little bit, because he is from Limpopo, where my parents are from,” Maphaka told Sunday World.
“His aggression, the way that he swung the ball and the way he was able to take the most South African Test cricket wickets in history was amazing.
“But, as you grow as a person and as a player, you start looking to take little things from different players and for me, the player that has really stood out for me is KG [Kagiso]. Just the way he moved from the U19 scene into the international stage and killed it immediately was really good of him and to witness.”
At just the age of 17, Maphaka now also bears the record of becoming the first player to pick up a trio of five-wicket hauls at a single cricket world cup edition – a feat that has since left the rising star in awe. “It feels amazing [to break the record], I don’t have many words, but it is one of those things that you only take note of later in your career.
“But I have kind of realised that I’ve made history and it’s something really special to me and hopefully I’ll be able to make a lot more history in my career,” he said.
