XOLILE MPISANE
OMUNYE wabashwibi abahlonishwayo emhlabeni, uDale Steyn, usekuqinisekisile ukuthi usethatha umhlalaphansi kuyona yonke imikhakha kwikhilikithi.
Lo mshwibi (38) owazakhela udumo ngamabhola akhe abenesivinini esimangalisayo usekhethe ukuwabeka ethala ngokuphelele amateku akhe emuva kokuyeka imidlalo yama-test ngo-2019.
"Sekuphele iminyaka engu-20 ngizilolonga, ngidlala, ngehla ngenyuka , nginqoba, ngihlulwa, ngibopha izinyawo, ngijabula futhi ngibambisene nozakwethu," kusho uSteyn ekhasini lakhe ku-Twitter.
"Ngeke ngikwazi ukukubala konke okwenzekile futhi baningi abantu okumele ngibabonge.
"Namuhla ngiyakuqinisekisa ukuthi sengiyawuyeka umdlalo engiwuthanda kakhulu. Nginemizwa emihle futhi nginomunyu kodwa ngigcwele ukubonga."
USteyn waqala ukudlala eqenjini lesizwe ngo-2004, uhlanganise ama-test angu-93 , wathatha ama-wicket angu-439. Kweyosuku olulodwa unama-wicket angu-196 emidlalweni engu-125, kwi-T20 wathatha ama-wicket angu-64 emidlalweni engu-47.
Khonamanjalo, u-Andre Pretorius, yena ujabulela ukubuyela eqenjini lesizwe njengoba eyingxenye yeqembu lamaProteas elizobhekana ne-Sri Lanka kule nyanga.
UPretorius wagcina ukudlalela amaProteas ochungechungeni lwe-T20 ngesikhathi ebhekene nePakistan ngoFebhuwari.
Akabange esayidlala eyosuku olulodwa ngo-Ephreli ngenxa yokuthi wayelimele ezimbanjeni, waphinde wasala sekuthathwa uhambo oluya eWest Indies ngoJuni ngemuva kokutheleleka nge-Covid 19.
"Ngijabule ngiyafa. Bese kunesikhathi eside kakhulu ngingadlali," kusho uPretorius.
"Yize noma kusadlule izinyanga kodwa sekuzwakala sengathi bekuyiminyaka. Ngizibona nginenhlanhla futhi kuyangijabulisa kakhulu ukuba yingxenye yeqembu futhi."
AmaProteas azodlala imidlalo emithathu yosuku olulodwa neSri Lanka, owokuqala uzobanjelwa R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium eColombo ngoLwesihlanu. Babuye badlale uchungechunge lwemidlalo emithathu kwi-T20.
UPretorius uthe bekuyinselelo ukuzilolonga behlukaniswe ngamaqoqwana amancane kodwa sebeyilungele imidlalo futhi bazimisele ukumelana nesimo senkundla abazodlalela kuyona.
"Kona kunzima ukuziqeqesha ngokwehlukana ngenxa yesimo esibhekene naso se-Covid 19 kodwa siyazama ukuthi senze konke okufanele sikwenze. Siyethemba sizoqala ukuzilolonga ndawonye ngaphambi komdlalo wokuqala.
"Silindele ukuthi inkundla esizodlalela kuyona ilihambise kancane ibhola. Kusobala ukuthi abashwibi abangama-spinner bazodlala indima enkulu emidlalweni yosuku olulodwa nakwi-T20 imbala,“ kusho uPretorius.
Le midlalo yaseSri Lanka isemqoka kumaProteas njengoba kungeyokugcina azoyidlala ngaphambi kweNdebe yoMhlaba ye-T20 ezobanjelwa e-UAE nase-Oman ngo-Okthoba.