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Tag: Maphaka
SA vs Pak 2nd Test – WTC – Kwena Maphaka given a chance to spread his wings and ‘be the man for the team’
Kwena Maphaka does not need to think of himself as being “on trial” when he becomes the youngest Test debutant for South Africa at Newlands on Friday. Maphaka will be 18 years and 270 days old at the time, not yet in possession of his final school results (which come out in about ten days’ time) and has just three first-class matches to his name.“We know what his talent is about,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s Test captain, said on the eve of the game against Pakistan.Those who watched the white-ball matches against Pakistan, where Maphaka reached speeds above 150kph, already know about some of it. Maphaka’s raw pace was on display when he hit Babar Azam on the glove in the third ODI and then rushed him into a pull shot off the next ball which Babar played to short midwicket. The match before that, his athletic instincts were on full display when he leapt up in his follow through to take a sharp catch to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan. He picked up 4 for 72 in that game.Those who watched the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year might have seen all this coming. On some of South Africa’s less lively pitches, Maphaka picked up 21 wickets at an eyepopping average of 9.71. South Africa lost in the semi-final but Maphaka’s haul was not overtaken and he was named Player of the Tournament.But there was one person who knew even before this year’s age-group tournament that Maphaka’s talent was extraordinary: South Africa’s Test coach Shukri Conrad. While working as national U-19 coach a couple of years ago, he remembers “seeing Kwena at the camp and I said to the selectors, ‘This kid’s going with us to the World Cup’. Everybody jumped up and said, ‘what are you talking about? He’s 15 years old’,” Conrad told ESPNcricinfo two days before the match. “I said to them that we might not reap the rewards at this World Cup but we’re definitely going to reap the rewards down the line.”Maphaka was part of the South Africa squad that travelled to the U-19 World Cup in the Caribbean in 2022. He played three matches and took seven wickets and also had the opportunity to be mentored by the man who would become South Africa’s Test coach a year later. Then, Conrad included Maphaka in a South Africa A squad that toured Sri Lanka in June 2023. Maphaka made his first-class debut on that trip, before he had even played a domestic red-ball match, under Conrad’s watch. So it’s hardly surprising that Conrad brought Maphaka into the squad as soon as he had the opportunity to: once his school examinations were over (which is the reason he did not go on the away Test tours) and there was a vacancy in the attack.
“He seems like he wants to be the man for the team. He has the characteristics to at least to fulfil his potential. And I guess for us it’s to support him and make him feel free to continue being the person that he is”
Temba Bavuma on Kwena Maphaka
With Gerald Coetzee and Wiaan Mulder injured at Kingsmead, Maphaka was brought into the Test squad in the Sri Lanka series but did not play at St George’s Park. Dane Paterson, a slower bowler who moves the ball off the seam, was preferred. Paterson took seven wickets and retained his place for Boxing Day, where allrounder Corbin Bosch debuted. But now, with Mulder back in and carded to bat as high as No. 3, Bosch has dropped out and though Paterson is desperately unlucky to miss out after 13 wickets in his last two Tests, the circumstances are ideal for Maphaka to debut.“Kwena selection is on potential, more than anything. But obviously, he exudes talent and we wanted to go with an extra bit of pace as well,” Bavuma explained. “Unfortunately, a guy like Dane Paterson, who has been superb for us, misses out. So we’re quite excited for Kwena – also considering the fact that we’ve got a series on the line. We want to give an opportunity to a young guy, when there’s a consequence to it. Whatever happens from his point of view, from a performance point of view, it’ll put him in good stead.”
On eve of the match, it sounded like he may even be entrusted with the new ball alongside Kagiso Rabada. “I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to running in with KG over the next five days,” Bavuma said. “We’re super excited for the young talent.”As captain, Bavuma will look to balance giving Maphaka a licence to simply do his thing with ensuring that he learns as much as possible from the experience. The message is that there is no pressure on him, but there is the opportunity to lay the groundwork for a long and successful career.
“With a guy like Kwena, you want to allow him to be as free as he can. You want to allow him to continue being the Kwena he is and to allow the exuberance of youth to come out,” Bavuma said. “More specifically with him, it’s a case of Kwena running and bowling as quickly as you can, allowing him to kind of just spread his wings. Obviously with him, he doesn’t have the foundation. A lot of us played first-class cricket, we were able to fail, come back and find a way. He’s just going to have to learn quite quickly but he has the talent that will make it a little bit easier for him. Also, he’s not on trial in this game. We know what his talent is about.”
Though Bavuma has not played a red-ball game with Maphaka before, they have shared the international stage in two ODIs and have trained together. From what Bavuma has seen, Maphaka “seems to have a good understanding of his game, especially at his age; he is a strong competitor as well and you can see it in all the other things that we do, even playing soccer”.
“He seems like he wants to be the man for the team,” Bavuma said. “He has the characteristics to at least to fulfil his potential. And I guess for us it’s to support him and make him feel free to continue being the person that he is.”
The second Test match between South Africa and Pakistan in the World Test Championship is just around the corner, and all eyes are on Kwena Maphaka.Maphaka, the talented young all-rounder, has shown glimpses of his potential in the past, but now he has been given the chance to truly spread his wings and be the man for the team. With injuries to key players in the squad, Maphaka has been handed the responsibility of stepping up and making a mark in this crucial Test match.
This is the perfect opportunity for Maphaka to showcase his skills and prove his worth to the team. With his explosive batting and handy bowling, he has the ability to make a significant impact on the game and help South Africa secure a vital victory in the World Test Championship.
Fans are eagerly awaiting to see Maphaka in action and witness him rise to the occasion. Will he be able to deliver when it matters the most? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure – Kwena Maphaka has the talent and potential to become a key player for South Africa in the future. Let’s cheer him on and hope for a stellar performance in the upcoming Test match. Go Maphaka, go! #SAvsPak #WTC #KwenaMaphaka
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SA vs Pak 2nd Test, WTC, Kwena Maphaka, cricket, South Africa, Pakistan, Test match, World Test Championship, player spotlight, team dynamics, match analysis
#Pak #2nd #Test #WTC #Kwena #Maphaka #chance #spread #wings #man #team
Young Maphaka makes his debut as South Africa wins the toss and bats 1st in 2nd test vs Pakistan
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Kwena Maphaka became the youngest South African to make a test debut as the Proteas won the toss and elected to bat in the second and final test against Pakistan on Friday.
The 18 years and 270 days old Maphaka broke Paul Adams’ South Africa record of youngest test player, who played his first test against England in 1995 at the age of 18 years and 340 days.
South Africa made three changes after sealing its place in June’s World Test Championship final with a dramatic two-wicket win in the first test at Centurion inside four days.
Australia, India and Sri Lanka all still in the race for the Lord’s WTC final against South Africa in June. Australia could advance to face South Africa if it wins the fifth test against India in Sydney.
“It’s hot and we expect the wicket to break up,” South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said at the coin toss. “We’ve had time to wrap around what we’ve achieved, the preparations for this test have been the priority … a chance to finish off with a good note.”
Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas brought Pakistan close to its first test win in South Africa in 18 years with 6-54 in the second innings at Centurion but tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen shared a half century ninth-wicket stand and quashed the visitors hopes.
The home team, which has six successive test wins, opted to go with the express pace of Maphaka in place of Dane Paterson, who was dropped after picking up his second successive five-wicket haul at Centurion.
Corbin Bosch was left out after making a stunning test debut in the first test where he took a wicket with his first ball and then made a scintillating unbeaten half century in the first innings which gave South Africa a match-winning lead of 90 runs.
Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has recovered from a groin injury and replaced Bosch. Opening batter Tony de Zorzi had a thigh strain and was replaced by Wiaan Mulder as the all-rounder recovered from a finger injury and returned to the playing XI.
Pakistan, which has won just two of its last nine test matches in this WTC cycle, once again went without a specialist spinner. It rested fast bowler Naseem Shah and brought in left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza.
“A bit less grass than usual, but we would have had a bowl,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said.
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Lineups:
South Africa: Ryan Rickleton, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka.
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Khurram Shahzad.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Young Maphaka makes his debut as South Africa wins the toss and bats 1st in 2nd test vs PakistanExcitement filled the air as South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first in the second test match against Pakistan. Making his debut for the Proteas, young fast bowler Maphaka was handed his cap and given the opportunity to showcase his talent on the international stage.
With experienced batsmen like Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar at the crease, South Africa got off to a solid start, putting up a strong opening partnership. Maphaka’s presence in the team added a new dynamic, with his raw pace and aggression keeping the Pakistani bowlers on their toes.
As the day progressed, South Africa continued to pile on the runs, with contributions from the middle order batsmen as well. The Pakistani bowlers tried their best to break through the Proteas’ defenses, but the South African batsmen stood firm.
By the end of the day’s play, South Africa had put up a competitive total on the board, setting the stage for an exciting battle in the remaining days of the test match. With Maphaka making a promising debut and the team in a strong position, the Proteas looked poised for success in the match.
Stay tuned for more updates as the second test match between South Africa and Pakistan unfolds. Young Maphaka’s debut has certainly added an extra layer of excitement to the game, and fans can’t wait to see what he has in store for the rest of the series.
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young maphaka, south africa vs pakistan, test match, debut, south africa cricket, batting first, toss win, cricket news
#Young #Maphaka #debut #South #Africa #wins #toss #bats #1st #2nd #test #Pakistan
