Teenage fast bowler Kwena Maphaka says he tried to “keep it as simple as possible” after becoming the youngest Proteas debutant in Test cricket against Pakistan.
Having already played five T20Is and two ODIs, the 18-year-old – who still waiting for Matric results – beat the record previously held by spinner Paul Adams as the youngest player to don the Test whites for the Proteas.
The left-arm quick generally acquitted himself well with the red ball and extracted good pace and bounce on what was a pretty docile surface.
Maphaka finished with figures of 2-43 in 8.2 overs in the first innings before settling down nicely second time around to finish with 1-47 in 13 overs as the Proteas romped to a 10-wicket win to seal a perfect home summer in the longest format.
He told reporters after the game: “I was really just trying to stay calm and trying to be as focused as possible on consistently bowling the same ball or similar balls rather than trying too many things at once.
“Test cricket from what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen, is a game of simplicity, so I was just trying to keep it as simple as possible.”
Maphaka’s first wicket in Test cricket was that of experienced Pakistan batter Babar Azam with a ball down the leg-side that found the edge and the catch snapped up by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne sparked wild celebrations.
“Running through my mind was literally nothing other than, ‘I’ve got my first test wicket, let me run around and parade’,” Maphaka said.
“It was really crazy, I was just trying to hit a good area. That ball did not go where it was supposed to. But things like that happen for a reason, I’m really happy to have got that wicket.”
It was Proteas Test coach Shukri Conrad who first picked Maphaka as a 15-year-old for the South Africa U19 side and also Conrad who gave the teenager his First-Class debut on a South Africa A tour to Sri Lanka in June 2023.
“As a cricketer, my coach backs me 100%, so I can back myself and I know that there’s no real pressure on me,” the paceman said of Conrad.
“Obviously, cricket is a game of pressure, but there’s no pressure from the change room in terms of my performances and how I go about my business.”
Maphaka will now gear up for the SA20, where he is contracted to the Paarl Royals, with the tournament set to get underway on Friday.
