Zaahier Adams
Fast bowling legend Makhaya Ntini has voiced concerns over the limited number of Test matches available to the modern-day Proteas, suggesting that the current format may inhibit star bowler Kagiso Rabada's chances of becoming South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Ntini's remarks come in light of Rabada's impressive ascent in the all-time wicket-taker rankings, where he currently sits fifth with 313 Test wickets. Having recently surpassed Morne Morkel’s tally of 309 during South Africa's Tour of Bangladesh, Rabada celebrated a significant milestone as the fastest player in the world to reach 300 Test wickets based on balls bowled.
With Ntini himself holding third place in the standings with 390 wickets — behind Shaun Pollock’s 421 and Dale Steyn’s record of 439 — he clearly sees the potential for Rabada to rise further up the ranks.
“Rabada is my hero. He just reached 300 Test wickets. He is the sixth to get there. He is chasing the milestone that no Black cricketer has ever achieved,” Ntini expressed during a KFC Mini-Cricket activation event.
However, Ntini worries that the structure of the current schedule, which primarily features two-match Test series, may impede Rabada's progress.
“We can’t be playing two to four Test matches in a year. How will he then be able to reach those goals? He will have to take 15 wickets in a series for him to be No 1 in South Africa. That’s my wish!”
Adding to his concerns is the evolving global landscape of cricket, which could further impact Rabada’s pursuit of the national record. Although Rabada was not retained by his IPL team Kings XI Punjab, he is likely to attract significant interest in the upcoming IPL auction.
Ntini pointed out a trend among T20 freelancers, citing Quinton de Kock as an example of a player who has chosen to retire from Test cricket early in order to pursue lucrative opportunities in franchise leagues across the globe.
“He is 29. How long will he still play for? I played until I was 33. Do you think he’s going to play until 33? No, he can’t,” Ntini remarked.
“There is much more money in the shorter versions of the game now. He can reach 350 and say, ‘Thank you very much. I want to pursue a different way’. If you look at all the players who are no longer playing Test cricket. Quinton de Kock is one of them, so you have to look at that.”
In order to manage Rabada's workload effectively, Proteas coaches Shukri Conrad (Test) and Rob Walter (white-ball) are in ongoing discussions about strategies to keep him mentally and physically fresh for upcoming matches. Notably, Rabada will not participate in the four-match T20I series against the world champions India, which kicks off in Durban this Friday.
As Rabada considers the latter stages of his career, he has acknowledged the necessity of rest and recuperation to sustain his exceptional talent.
"I'm not getting any younger, and with the amount of cricket that's being played, you have to think about it in terms of finding periods when you're going to rest in order to be the most effective you can be," Rabada stated following the Bangladesh series.
Despite Ntini’s aspirations for Rabada to become the Proteas’ leading wicket-taker of all time, he insists that his main motivation for success is rooted in the team's overall performance.
“If I was No. 5 or No. 3 and we're winning, then I'm really happy. If I'm No 1, I'm even more happy, but as long as we're winning — that's the major thing for me.”