Johannesburg - Thando Ntini is stepping into the shoes of his father, the legendary Proteas bowler Makhaya Ntini.
Thando, 19, is a right arm seam bowler and a left-handed batsman who starred for South Africa at the Under 19 World Cup aged just 17, two years ago.
Thando wants to smash his father’s impressive records. Over a decade long career, the brutal wicket-tacking Makhaya Ntini bagged 390 Test wickets and 266 ODI wickets for the Proteas.
The young Ntini was an an U19 international draft pick player for the Mzansi Super League outfit, Paarl Rocks.
He eventually wants to outdo his dad in the game. Below we find out more about the hopeful cricketer.
In my spare time, I like to…
Thando: Spend time with family and friends, or travel as much as I can. I also enjoy braai’ing with mates.
My other interest when I am not playing is…
Thando: Off-road mountain biking. I used to ride in competitions, but don’t really have the time anymore with all the cricket happening. In the next few years I want to do the Cape Epic.
My hobbies are…
Thando: Cooking, shopping, exploring new restaurants and sleeping.
What a lot of people don’t know about me is that I am a …
Thando: A really good cook.
If I was not a cricketer, I would be…
Thando: Either studying abroad or traveling and starting businesses across the globe.
The things that I treasure most in my life are…
Thando: My family, friends and my girlfriend. They push me to be an even better version of myself and motivate me to work harder.
Balancing work and a personal life means that…
Thando: You’ve got to sacrifice certain things to focus on your goals at hand.
My favourite music is…
Thando: All genres of music. If I like it, I’ll listen to it.
When I go home…
Thando: I see my family when I have time off from cricket and we always go on a holiday or a road trip.
My three main ambitions are to…
Thando: Be a successful cricketer; try to break my father’s records and also be a successful businessman.
When I’m not with friends or loved ones…
Thando: I sleep in.
I want to work hard to…
Thando: Be able to support my family for the rest of my life and not have to worry about finances.