AKAKHOLWA namanje ukuthi uzolibangisa e-England, uThamsanqa Khumalo, ozodlalela iqembu lesizwe lika-Under 19 lekhilikithi laseNingizimu Afrika elizolibangisa kwelamaNgisi ngenyanga ezayo.
Le nsizwa eneminyaka engu-18 ubudala, ekhaya layo kuseNtuzuma kwa-E, eThekwini. Iqale ukudlala ikhilikithi ineminyaka engu-13, esikoleni samabanga aphansi eSenzisihle Primary School, khona eNtuzuma.
“Angikakholwa namanje ukuthi ngizoya phesheya kwezilwandle. Ekhaya ngithe ngithi ngiyabachazela ugogo nomama bavele bakhala,” kusho uThamsanqa obumuzwa ukuthi uchichima injabulo.
Ngokusho kwale nsizwa eyi-all rounder (uyashwiba aphinde abhethe), ngesikhathi iqala ukudlala lo mdlalo kwakuyiyona yodwa eyayimnyama emazingeni aphansi. Ithe ukuzimisela kwayo kwathatha iso likaLinda Zondi oseyinhloko yokukhetha abadlali kwiCricket South Africa (CSA).
“UZondi wangizamela ukuba ngithole umfundaze njengoba ngiqale uGrade 8 eGlenwood High School. Ngibona ikusasa lami lizoqhakaza kulo mdlalo, ngoba ngizimisele kakhulu,” kuqhuba uThamsanqa ophinde abe yi-off spiner.
UThamsanqa uveze ukuthi ukhuliswe unina nogogo nakuba uyise ephila edla anhlamvana.
Uthe akumkhathazi nakancane ukuthi uyise akekho empilweni yakhe futhi uphokophele ekwenzeni impilo yakhe ibe ngcono. Uveze ukuthi uyazifela ngomdlali wamaProteas, uQuinton De Cock, ogijimela iHighveld Lions.
“UDe Cock uyisibonelo kimina. Ngikusho lokhu ngoba akasiqedanga isikole uDe Cock, wagcina kaGrade 11. Abantu bakugxeka ukuyeka kwakhe isikole bathi ngeke abe yilutho. Kodwa kunalokho wavele wadlala kwiLions, wasuka lapho wabizwa kwelesizwe amaProteas. Emdlalweni wakhe wokuqala washaya amarun awu-100. Sengingabala imiklomelo ayitholile kushone ilanga, ngakho uyisibonelo sokuthi uma ulandela inhliziyo yakho kukhona okuzuzayo,” kuqhuba uKhumalo okuqinisekisile ukuthi yena uzosiqeda isikole.
Iqembu lesizwe lakuleli lika-Under 19, lizodlala umdlalo wokuzilungiselela neqembu lase-England elibizwa ngeLion ngoJulayi 4. Ngemuva kwalokho bazodlala imidlalo emithathu ye-test ne-England, nemithathu yosuku olulodwa.