Nangona iMpuma Koloni ingenazo iindawo zemidlalo ezisemgangathweni ophezulu – kodwa iphakathi kwamaphondo ambalwa avelisa oomanqanqa babadlali. Kungekudala, abantu boMzantsi Afrika bangabona omnye wabadlali abanetelante kwiqakamba, uThobile Hlatuka, edlalela iqela lesizwe. UHlatuka ngumdlali weqela eliphezulu leqakamba ekuthiwa yiEastern Cape Iinyathi.
Iqakamba usuka nayo eDikeni – phantsi kwenkqubo ekhethekileyo eFort Hare University Cricket Academy – emlungisileyo ukuze abe ngumdlali anguye namhlanje. UHlatuka, 22, uqale ukudlalela iqela leqakamba elisemgangathweni ophezulu eMpuma Koloni kunyaka ophelileyo.
Injongo yakhe kukulandela ekhondweni likamalume wakhe uMnu. Jerry Nqolo – owayengumdlali oqaqambileyo weqakamba ngeentsuku zakhe eDikeni. Ukukhula komdlalo wakhe uHlatuka kwiqakamba akubothusanga abantu abaninzi ngoba uphuma eDale College eyaziwayo ngokuvelisa iincutshe zabadlali phantsi kwesandla sikaMnu. Burton de Wett owayengumdlali naye ngeentsuku zakhe.
“Xa udlala nabantu abanethuba elide bekwiqakamba, kufuneka ufunde izinto eziliqela njengomdlali osakhulayo. Kunyanzelekile ubeke esweni yonke into futhi nengqondo yakho uyibethelele emdlalweni,” utshilo uHlatuka kwikhasi lomnatha leFort Hare University.
Nangona kunjalo, uye kwiEastern Cape Iinyathi ekwazi ukubetha nokujula ibhola yeqakamba ngobuchule. Ukuze abonakale kubachongi beqela lesizwe, uHlatuka kufuneka agqame kwinqanaba eliphezulu. Yiyo lo nto engakuvuyela ukudlalela amaqela afana neWarriors yaseGqeberha eminyakeni ezayo.
Ngoku usebenza ngokuzimisela esayamanisa umdlalo wakhe noVirat Kohli – umdlali owaziwayo wase-India amthandayo. “Ndidlalile eSt George’s Park ndingumdlali wayo iEastern Cape Iinyathi. Kumnandi kakhulu ukudlala kwela bala,” uvale ngaloo mazwi uHlatuka kwikhasi lomnatha leFort Hare University.
Ubuyile uloliwe phakathi kweKapa neRhawutini