Talented young cricketer Nqaba Peter. Photo: X
Has SA cricket uncovered a young ‘Shane Warne’?
There is increasing excitement around the potential of talented leg-spinner Nqaba Peter, who was inspired by legendary Shane Warne.
Talented young cricketer Nqaba Peter. Photo: X
South African cricket is renowned for its talent conveyor belt that predominantly produces a seemingly unending supply of talented fast bowlers, and yet a young spinner by the name of Nqaba Peter is starting to make waves.
Peter most recently tore through the Titans’ batting line-up to propel the Lions into the final of the CSA T20 Challenge, with the 21-year-old returning figures of 4/18.
The emergence of this rising star has perhaps been the one true highlight of an otherwise largely forgettable T20 Challenge, and the excitement over the potential of this skilful spinner only seems to be increasing.
Very few genuine leg-spinners have made it to the top of South African cricket, but Peter boasts incredible control, while possessing lethal weapons such as the “slider” and “googly”.
The Lions will host the final on Sunday, and all eyes will be on Peter, who has now taken 19 wickets in the campaign, with an average of just 7.78, while conceding only 5.19 runs per over.
Nqaba Peter was inspired by Shane Warne
In an interview with TimesLive, Peter provided a quirky anecdote about how he effectively became a leg-spinner by “accident”, after happening to see the late great legend Shane Warne working his magic during the Ashes several years ago.
“To me, it looked like: ‘When you bowl like this, you get wickets,’” he commented.
Warne is, of course, the greatest leg-spinner of all time. He revolutionised the art of leg spin, taking a staggering 708 wickets in Test matches, while also serving as a key member of Australia’s World Cup-winning team in 1999.
Peter has quickly become a key weapon for the Lions, and captain Bjorn Fortuin was effusive in his praise for the youngster.
“He has been very, very important for us, coming into the business end of the competition,” left-arm spinner Fortuin said, as quoted by IOL. “He has got all the skills and the tricks. Obviously he is still young and has got a lot to learn, but that comes with experience and playing time.
“He has got a bright future. There is nothing really stopping him from emulating some of the game’s greats.”
Destined for greatness
Last September, Peter was one of six new players who were unveiled by the Lions on high-performance contracts for the 2023/24 season.
Previously he had been made a name for himself with the Eastern Cape Linyathi, a team affiliated to Border Cricket that plays in Division 2 of Cricket SA (CSA).
“I knew from a very young age that my future was in cricket,” he told City Press in an interview back then. “Funny enough, I wasn’t too good growing up, to be quite fair, but I always believed because I have always had passion for cricket.”
However, his raw potential was spotted by a Proteas legend from the 1970s and 1980s, Richard Kent, who helped recruit him to George Randell Primary School. From there, he transitioned from a fast bowler to a leg-spinner, and from there has not looked back.
