Nqaba Spin...

How Peter became a Protea

From club cricketer and occasional semi-professional to 14 full international caps in 28 months. Nqabayomsi Peter, South Africa’s leg-spinner in-waiting following Imran Tahir and Tabraiz Shamsi, has had quite the journey after a late invitation to be a net bowler for the Proteas before their ODI series against the West Indies in East London in March 2023. Here is part of that story:

“Shammo (Tabraiz Shamsi) was watching from the side and was obviously excited to see another leg-spinner, and doing well. He asked me who I was playing for and whether I was contracted to anyone. I told him I was with Border…sort of. I was only on a ‘pay-for-play’ arrangement, so there was no contract,” Peter said in the courtyard of the team’s hotel in Cairns.

“He was thrilled to see another leg-spinner and couldn’t understand why I was only playing club cricket in East London – Shammo said I should be playing Division One cricket, he was so enthusiastic and encouraging. He told me to send him a message on Instagram and he would have a chat to the Titans…I could hardly believe it.

“I bowled in a couple more sessions as the Proteas were preparing for the series and I could feel the energy amongst the guys, they were excited and, I think, surprised and quite impressed. To be honest, I cleaned up a couple of the guys – the nets at Buffalo Park were turning quite a bit – and I remember thinking ‘wow, is this what international cricket would feel like?’ I was taking wickets a bit too easily,” Peter chuckles.

“After the last net session of the day I waited for Temba to finish his net because I was hoping for a selfie with him. I didn’t know when or if I’d see him again. He did the selfie then said ‘listen, you bowled really well to me and the other guys have all said good things about you. So, if you’re interested, I can have a word with Lions CEO, Jono Leaf-Wright, and see about you joining the Lions.’ If I was interested??”

“I didn’t know if they would want me for the second day but they asked me back and everybody wanted me to bowl to them, so I bowled all day until my shoulder ached so much I could hardly lift my arm, but I loved it. Suddenly I was dreaming of playing for the Titans, or Lions – even the Warriors were interested.

“The next day I got a call from Mandla Mashimbyi who persuaded me that I would benefit most from being around Shammo and learning from him at Centurion, and he offered me a contract! I was literally about to sign, I even discussed it with my Mom and explained that I was going to have to leave home and go to live in Pretoria.

“A couple of hours before I would have signed a got call from Temba who asked if I was really serious about my cricket and joining the Lions. I told him ‘absolutely’ – and also that I had been offered a one-year contract by the Titans. I was nervous about a one-year contract, it was a big commitment to move to Pretoria for just one year. Could I even get into the team?

“I spoke with Lions coach, Wandile Gwavu, and they offered me a two-year deal to show that they would commit to me. At the time I was living at home (in East London’s Sunset Bay) with my Mom, brother, sister and nephew. My Mom was employed at the time but soon after I moved to the Lions she lost her job so I was able to look after her,” Peter says.

A year after finishing the CSA T20 competition as the leading wicket-taker despite only playing “about half the games because Bjorn Fortuin was the lead spinner at the Lions” Peter’s fortunes took another leap upwards with his first Proteas call-up for a T20 series in the Caribbean, three games at Sabina Park in Jamaica. He played in two of them claiming 2-32 on debut.

*“I owe a lot to Russell Domingo, I really enjoy his coaching style and he’s been good to me, looked after me.*

Peter played only the second T20I against Australia in Darwin – a long way to travel for one game – and encountered especially difficult conditions.

“There was a lot of dew and it was difficult to grip the ball. I didn’t back myself to bowl my googly and I should have done, but there were a couple of ‘drag-downs’ and my first over went for 18. In my next over I knew I had to take a wicket, I didn’t care if I went for runs but the team needed a wicket from me.” Australia’s last hope, Alex Carey, was duly caught by Dewald Brevis and Australia slipped to a 53-run defeat with Peter finishing with 1-35 from his three overs. He wishes he could have played more:

“It’s like giving a batter one game and then judging him after he scores a duck. You can’t really prove yourself in one game as a bowler so I definitely would have liked to play more but I’ve had conversations with the coach and I’m going to trust his plans and processes for me.”

If his international career stalls, there is always the T20 franchise circuit. Interested?

“That would be great, yes, playing in different conditions around the world and gaining experience, and it would be nice financially. But, right now, the only thing that matters to me is playing for my country, that has always been my dream and it is still the only thing that matters to me.

“I actually do believe there is a greater purpose to me playing the game, to be a role-model for millions of South Africans, to show them what you can become. It would be great to play some franchise leagues later but that’s not my focus right now,” Peter says.

Having first played as a fast bowler at George Randell Primary School he was converted to leg-spin at Hudson Park High School after his coach saw him ‘mucking about’ with leg-spin in the nets. “I could always spin it, but landing it was a problem.”

Leg spinners come and go. Many go before they’ve really arrived. It’s a tough gig. Nqabayomsi Peter might not ‘make it’ in one of the world’s least spin-friendly nations. But his journey so far, his gritty determination – and his skill – suggest he has a better chance than most. And, by the way, he believes he has something to offer with the bat: “Definitely. I see myself as a boundary-hitter. If there’s ever a return to ‘pinch-hitters’, that’s the job for me!”