UMQEQESHI weqembu lesizwe lekhilikithi labesilisa uRob Walter, uchaza umshwibi wakuleli uKeshav Maharaj, njengengcweti yomdlali omqoka eqenjini.
UMaharaj usethathele amaProtea amawikhethi angu-14 eNdebeni yoMhlaba, eqhubekayo e-India. Phezu kwalokho, akulula ukuthi abadlali abashayayo bazitamuzele ama-run uma eshwiba.
Ngenxa yalokhu usekhuphukele esicongweni uma kukleliswa abashwibi emhlabeni kwikhilikithi yama-over angu-50, udlula uMohammed Siraj wase-India.
Wenze kahle kule Ndebe yoMhlaba ngesikhathi elakuleli libhekene ne-England, lapho ethathe amawikhethi amane, wangenisa ama-run angu-46 kuma-over angu-10 awashwiba.
“U-Kesh (Maharaj) ungumdlali omangalisayo futhi uyingcweti yangempela. Ukhombise ikhono elikhulu kule Ndebe yoMhlaba. Kuhle ukumbona egcina umgqigqo wakhe ezinkundleni ezehlukene. Uyakwazi ukunswinya laba ababhethayo futhi athathe namawikhethi uma izimo zenkundla zimvuna,” kusho uWalter.
“Ubaluleke kakhulu endleleni esifuna ukudlala ngayo. Uyazi ukuthi yikuphi okulindeleke kuyena. Ungumshwibi obaluleke kakhulu eqenjini lethu futhi ngibheke ngabomvu ukumbona enza lokhu adume ngakho kowandulela owamanqamu.”
UMaharaj kulindeleke ukuthi abe ngomunye wabadlali abamqoka uma amaProtea esebhekene ne-Australia kowandulela owamanqamu namuhla. Umdlalo uzoqala ngo-10.30 ekuseni e-Eden Gardens, eKolkata.
Lo mdlali oshwiba i-spin kwakungatshazwa ukuthi usazodlala koweNdebe yoMhlaba ngemva kokulimala kwakhe ngendlela ebucayi ngoMashi. Wadonseka umsipha ohlanganisa isithende nomlenze i-Achilles, ejabulela ukuthatha iwikhethi ngesikhathi bedlala neWest Indies, kwadingeka ukuthi ukuthi ahlinzwe.
Ngokujwayelekile umdlali ohlinzwe i-Achilles uthatha izinyanga eziyisishiyagalombili noma ngaphezulu ukuthi alulame kodwa uMaharaj ubuye kungakapheli neziyisithupha. Ngesikhathi ekhuluma ne-ESPN Cricinfo ngaphambi kokuqala kweNdebe yoMhlaba, wabhoboka ngobunzima adlula kubona nokwakumele akwenze ukuze alulame ngokushesha.
"Ngadela okuningi ngaleso sikhathi, kwadingeka ngishintshe indlela engangidla ngayo futhi ngizinakekele ngempela. Ngangiqinisekisa ukuthi ngilala amahora ayisishiyagalombili kuya kwangu-10 njalo ebusuku. Ngafaka umndeni wami ngaphansi kwengcindezi ngoba kwakumele ngenze isiqiniseko sokuthi ngidla izinto ezithile futhi ngidle ngesikhathi esifanele,” kusho uMaharaj.
"Ngasekuqaleni izinto zazihamba kancane futhi kwakwenzeka ngifikelwe yimicabango engemihle. Kwathi sengiqala ukucothoza labuya ithemba, ngazitshela ukuthi kufanele ngizikhandle kakhulu kunakuqala.
“Ngemuva kwezinyanga ezinhlanu sengiqala ukugijima nokushwiba ngabona ukuthi iphupho lami lingafezeka. INdebe yoMhlaba isho lukhulu kimina. Ngake ngadlala eNdebeni yoMhlaba ye-T20 kodwa eyemidlalo yama-over angu-50 ihlukile” kuphetha umdlali.
Kwababhethayo, nguShubman Gill wase-India, okleliswe phambili emidlalweni yama-over angu-50, alandelelwe nguBabar Azam wasePakistan, noQuinton de Kock waseNingizimu Afrika.