Paving the way for disadvantaged talent

You would think a succession of injuries bad enough to end a promising cricket career in its infancy would be enough to banish all thought of playing the game. But former Proteas opening bowler Mfuneko Ngam refuses to call time on the gentleman's game.

Aged just 31, Ngam would have been at the peak of his cricket - perhaps even Dale Steyn's new-ball partner in the Test side - were it not for a series of stress fractures suffered during his teenage years, that accounted for his international career after just three Tests .

Instead, he plies his trade in the obscure leagues of the rural Eastern Cape - playing for Fort Hare University in Alice, predominantly as a batsman who bowls seam off just two paces.

After a steady rise through the youth ranks, Ngam marked his arrival on the cricket scene by being voted one of the five cricketers of the year in 2001, following a barnstorming year during which he made his first-class debut for Eastern Pro-vince, performed admirably for the South African A side in the West Indies and broke into the Test side.

"I remember 2000 as if it happened yesterday. I remember playing in a SuperSport Series game for EP in Durban when I received a call from Dr Ali Bacher to notify me of my selection for the 12-man squad for the third Test against New Zealand at the Wanderers as cover for Allan Donald, who had a stomach muscle strain.

"I'd already been on standby during the one-day series against New Zealand, so I wasn't really expecting to play.

"But on our way from the airport, in Johannesburg, I learned from Mark Boucher that I would be playing because Allan had stayed behind in Bloem.

"The magnitude of the occasion didn't hit me until I received a congratulatory message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu the night before the Test.

"To add to the pressure, I was then told by Shaun Pollock that I would be sharing the new ball.

"I could barely manage a wink of sleep while Makhaya (Ntini) snored away all night on the other side of the hotel room we were sharing," says Ngam.

But despite his career being cut short after just three Tests, Ngam has lost none of his passion for the game he learnt on the dusty streets of Motherwell, in Port Elizabeth.

"These days I play a bit in the Border rural leagues. But I spend a lot of my time travelling around the country scouting talented black cricketers, coaching black coaches, and coaching at the Fort Hare University cricket academy," he says.

Much like Corrie van Zyl, Ngam aspires to playing an influential role in the development of young talent.

"I don't really see myself as head coach of any cricket side. But I'd love to work as a bowling coach at the Cricket SA High Performance Centre in Pretoria or in the national setup."

As coaching manager of Fort Hare University's Dr Krish Mackerdhuj indoor cricket facility, Ngam is already playing a pivotal role in developing young talent as part of a joint initiative between the university and Cricket SA to fast-track the development of black players from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Two of his products are Jerry Nqolo, 19, and Siyamthanda Ntshona, 20, who have played for the Warriors, are products of the academy.

"We've lost a lot of potential due to a lack of the necessary support structures in most black households, where families struggle to buy food and educate their children, let alone buy cricket boots or bats.

"Through the academy we ensure the players are educated and receive proper support so that they have to worry about - nothing except honing their skills."

"This builds the players' self-esteem because - I know this from first-hand experience - there is nothing worse than going to play a match or trial without the proper equipment.

"I was fortunate to have had the support of people such as Adrian Birrell and Tona Mle. But many youngsters would have no such luck were it not for this academy," says Ngam.