Lungi Ngidi’s resilience and strategic change of pace have made him a standout fast bowler for the Proteas at the T20 World Cup, earning praise from former teammate Tabraiz Shamsi for his dependability and character. Picture: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP
Image: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP
Former teammate Tabraiz Shamsi has sung the praises of Lungi Ngidi as he has been the standout fast bowler for the Proteas at the T20 World Cup.
Though Marco Jansen is ahead on the wicket-takers list with 11, Ngidi is not far behind with eight.
However, the stats alone do not reveal just how pivotal Ngidi has been in the Proteas attack.
His cunning change of pace throughout his spells has seen him produce a number of miserly returns which have in turn allowed bowlers at the other end to strike. This is in stark contrast to the previous edition of the T20 World Cup, when Ngidi was not even selected in the Proteas squad for the tournament.
“I’m flipping over the moon for Lungi. He's been in and out of the previous World Cup. I think he was part of the reserves, and he's always putting in work behind the scenes like everyone else. But to have that resilience in order to just make it count, that's what's important,” Shamsi told SportsBoom.co.za.
Shamsi, who has not featured for the Proteas in the shortest format of the game since the 2024 T20 World Cup final, said it takes a real strength of character to fight for a place in the team.
“As a player, you always know that if I'm going to be in and out of the team, I can't mope around here. I can't sulk around. If I'm not in, I’ve got to do the work behind the scenes because when I do get my opportunity, I need to grab it. I think that's what Lungi has done beautifully.
“He's one of our most dependable bowlers now, not only now in this World Cup, but I suppose in the last year as well. He's shown that he's somebody that you can throw the ball to if there's a little bit of a dodgy situation for the team. To win back-to-back World Cup Man of the Match, that's not a joke either. That's the kind of guy he is.”