Johannesburg - Lungi Ngidi is 20. He wants to learn, but not in the clichéd manner so many young players - or even older players - talk about always learning.
Ngidi has a thirst for knowledge that marries learning with ambition. He may be young, but reckons he deserves to be in the Proteas squad.
Ngidi is among the half-a-dozen newbies in the Proteas squad preparing for the T20 series against Sri Lanka this week, who coach Russell Domingo said were desperate to make an impression.
And in Ngidi’s case he’s already been looking for tips from current Proteas like Kagiso Rabada and his captain for the coming series, Farhaan Behardien, as well as former wearers of the dark green cap such as Titans’ coach Mark Boucher.
They’ve all made an impression on him and he’s looking forward to applying some of what he’s learned from them when he gets a chance at the highest level in the next few days.
Having only played seven first-class matches and having less than two seasons’ worth of franchise experience, naturally there’ll be those wondering if Ngidi has been elevated too quickly. He doesn’t see it that way.
“I’ve had many conversations with Behardien. Having chatted to him (it’s made me think) sometimes it’s better to throw someone in at the deep end and fast-track them through their learning,” Ngidi said ahead of the squad’s first training session at the Wanderers on Tuesday.
He featured in every match for the Titans in their successful T20 Challenge campaign this season, taking nine wickets at an economy rate of 8.27. He’s also made an impression in the four-day Sunfoil Series, claiming 11 wickets at 21.90.
Plucked from relative obscurity last season when the then-Titans coach Rob Walter took him from the club structures at the University of Pretoria and included him in a couple of T20 matches for the franchise before he’d even played for the local semi-professional side, Ngidi understands the fast-tracking process.
“That’s a step that CSA have taken in the right direction. If you are putting in the performances, why wait? That gave me a lot of motivation, in that it doesn’t matter how young you are, people are getting an opportunity if you are performing.
Boucher has continued that development this season, where Ngidi has quickly become an important part of the Titans team. “Last season, coming in (to the franchise game) you realised the intensity and the speed of the game and that you have to adjust pretty quickly. There’s no time to find your feet," he said.
“Boucher has given me the hope that there was a good opportunity I could play for South Africa and (with) him having played for South Africa - over 100 Tests - he knows what a player needs to do in terms of playing for South Africa.”
Ngidi has the physical gifts any fast bowler requires - height, great athleticism, and when he finds the right rhythm he’s genuinely quick. His natural length is slightly back of a good length and he said that he’s taken tips from batsmen about the best areas to bowl.
South Africa will play in the first of three T20 Internationals this Friday at Ngidi’s home ground, SuperSport Park in Centurion.
“I’ll take on the role of being a strike bowler. I wouldn’t mind getting thrown the ball and making something happen. I enjoy that a lot.”