Dane Paterson is just as worthy as the other members of this exclusive club, which he joined on Thursday night. It is lazy to labour him with that outdated title of “game servant.” So is referring to him as a cult hero.
At CSA’s annual event in Johannesburg on Thursday night, 36 awards were given out in only the professional categories. Twenty-five further winners were announced in the “pathways” sections during the morning session.
One name stood out from the glitter among the 61 people who were garlanded, including coaches, players, curators, umpires, and boys.
It wasn’t that of Nonkululeko Mlaba, the female counterpart who took home two other significant awards that evening, or Keshav Maharaj, the men’s player of the year. Players like Kagiso Rabada, Temba Bavuma, Marco Jansen, Dewald Brevis, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, and Annerie Dercksen, who were also praised, were unable to take away his attention, not even the names of the great and the good or the next big thing.
Rather, the name that stood out above the rest belonged to a player who has only received seven Test caps on the international scene, but twelve in both white-ball formats. He has only made it to 50 once in his 215 first-class innings. However, he has taken 625 first-class wickets at 24.13 while lacking any discernible pace, swing, or movement. And we’re not talking him up because of all those wickets. What on earth is he?
Dane Paterson
Prior to 2021, there was no Makhaya Ntini Power of Cricket Award. It was established to honour those whose participation in the game has positively impacted their life. The past winners include Masabata Klaas, Mondli Khumalo, Mlaba, and Ottneil Baartman. They were all deserving. similar to how Ntini himself ascended to the pinnacles of cricket from the modest origins of an Eastern Cape village.
Dane Paterson is actually a very good bowler. It’s obvious that cricket has made his life better. But his contribution to South African cricket will always be remembered.
South Africa advanced to the WTC final against Australia at Lord’s in June in large part thanks to Paterson’s 5/71 against Sri Lanka at St George’s Park and 5/61 against Pakistan in Centurion in December.
His exclusion from the starting lineup for the final, which South Africa won by five wickets to win their first senior ICC title since 1998, caused widespread disappointment.
Dane Paterson, who turned 36 in April, isn’t physically in the same league as Mitchell Starc and Rabada, who are quick bowlers.
To call Dane Paterson the poor man’s paceman would be cruel, but it makes sense. He approaches the world from the ground up and is constructed on a human size. He will come across the floor to greet you if you see him out and about. He exudes an easygoing pleasantness that is contagious. He is the most uncommon cricket player—the unassuming quick bowler.
At CSA’s glitzy awards ceremony, which was as un-Paterson an occasion as you can imagine, his name was shown. Therefore, it seemed appropriate that the man himself wasn’t present to accept his award. Apparently, he had a family situation to attend to instead, which is completely unbelievable.
He wasn’t in a Johannesburg ballroom, just as he wasn’t at Lord’s. Even though those matches were too late to be considered by the judges, everyone in attendance was aware that South Africa might not have advanced to the WTC final if it weren’t for his bowling at St George’s Park and in Centurion. And that Thursday would have had far less to celebrate if they hadn’t.
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