At the beginning of 2024, South Africa’s Kwena Maphaka broke the record for most wickets taken in the Under-19 World Cup. At an impressive average of 9.71 and a perfect strike rate of 15.28, he took 21 wickets in just six games. Almost six months later, he was draughted into the national team. The 18-year-old earned his Proteas debut on the international scene on August 23 against the West Indies in the first Twenty20 International.
He worked very hard, and in his last over, he got lucky and took Rovman Powell‘s wicket, his maiden international scalp. Maphaka, who is still in school, disclosed that he is studying to get ready for his preliminary examinations while on the demanding West Indies tour. He also said that he would return to the school after serving as the best-ranked representative of his nation.
“Prelims are back when I get home. Unfortunately, I’ve been studying while travelling. There will be some work involved as well as some studying. According to iol.com.za, Maphaka stated, “After preliminary exams, it’s finals and then done with school.”
Being the youngest player to play for South Africa is an honour: Kwena Maphaka
The left-arm pacer bowled just 9.5 overs in three games, picking up just one wicket in a disappointing debut series that saw the visitors lose 0-3. In the forthcoming ODI series against Afghanistan in September, it would be intriguing to see if the Proteas have faith in the youthful shoulders to carry the load. Notably, Maphaka became the youngest cricket player to represent South Africa in international cricket with his maiden match.
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“It’s an honour and a joy to be the youngest player to represent South Africa. For a very long time, I will cherish this. I’ve been dreaming about representing the Proteas my entire life, and it’s an incredible experience. The icing on the cake is being the youngest person to complete the task. People have stated I had a lot of potential since I was very little. I’ve always wanted to play cricket; I think my dream of being a Proteas player began when I was around six or seven years old,” he continued.
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