Former Proteas Bowler Makhaya Ntini has detailed the racism he experienced in the team. He used to run to the stadium and back to the hotel to avoid being lonely on the team bus. He says other players wouldn’t sit with him during meals!
Being lonely, Makhaya also said that he never stopped playing for South Africa because he wanted to. He says his contract was also terminated with immediate effect.
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Makhaya Ntini made these shocking revelations on Friday during a Morning Live interview on SABC2.
“I never stopped playing for South Africa because I wanted to, that’s what I am trying to say to you. I played 100 tera’s match in Pretoria and then we get to Durban we lost the game dismally. And then we get to the following game in Cape Town on New Year’s Day. Because we lost the game and then I was the one who was dropped out of that team out of that 11,” says Makhaya Ntini.
Makhaya Ntini says that he was never prepared any final test and or retirement as is with all the other players.
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“That was never the case. That was never done. You know all of them I watched them playing every single city in South Africa because they were retiring. I was never given that opportunity as well. So my one was shut down with immediate effect because within the same month later I lost my contract. From A-plus to no contract in South Africa,” expresses Makhaya Ntini.
When he was asked if he thinks we should have more players of color representing South Africa, he says: “With doubt and I think all of that has to start with the Provincials. We have a lot of players of color that are on the pipeline. We have a lot of players of color that are showing the signs of being good.”
Makhaya Ntini advises that it should start at the Provincial level in terms of nursing those (players of color) instead of keeping them at the lower league.
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Makhaya also alleges that there are certain names that you can’t take out of the team and replace them with players of color even if they are injured. “That’s where my issue is.”
When he was asked if he ever felt incredibly lonely in the team he says that he was forever lonely.
“Do you want me to be honest with you? I was forever lonely because the first thing that comes to loneliness is not to have someone knocking at your door and say let’s go for dinner. That’s loneliness on its own… where you will watch friends calling each other and then having plans right in front of you… and then you’ll be skipped and then they will go along by themselves and they will have dinner, they will have lunch, and they will have breakfast,” explains Makhaya Ntini.
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He also says when he was the first one in the breakfast room the next person that will come in will never sit next to him.
“… That loneliness but you’re playing in the same team together. Getting into the same bus, drive all the way to the stadium, practice at the same time. I bowl to them, wear the same clothes, and sing the same national anthem. Those kinds of things I had to find a way to overcome them,” he says.
He says when he found a way it became the best weapon of his life.
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“I will go to the driver of the bus early morning and then I would give him my bag… I’ll say to him I’ll meet him at the ground. I’ll put my running shoes I’ll run to the cricket ground,” says Makhaya Ntini.
He says that he would do the same thing when they going back, giving the driver his dirty clothes and run all the way back to the hotel.
“my people never understood why I was doing that and then I would never say to them why I’m doing this to avoid ABCD, so it became my best thing ever right through my cricket career not to worry about someone else,” he says.
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Makhaya says he was doing this to run away from the loneliness and he’ll always meet them at the ground to avoid driving with them to and from the ground back to the hotel.
“You could see if I am sitting at the back the rest of them is at the front…” he says.
WATCH THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW BELOW:
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