In the history of cricket, there have been few who have been gifted enough to be considered weapons with both the ball and bat.
Only a handful of players can claim to be among this exclusive group; one of them is 36-year-old Amith Mangaroo.
Amith’s most memorable moment on the cricket pitch was when he was given the opportunity to represent KwaZulu-Natal at the under 18 South African Selections/Trials in 2001.
Beyond being a member of Colita Cricket Club for the past 12 years, Amith has been an active player of this sporting code since 1995.
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Prior to joining the Colita team, Amith played for Maidstone Cricket Club, but this unfortunately closed down.
“After college, our cricket club closed due to players leaving Estcourt. This was a very young side, with mostly school mates who eventually left town; me being one of them,” recalls Amith.
Upon his return, an old friend introduced him to Colita Cricket Club. While Amith is equally skilled with both bat and ball, he says he is currently enjoying bowling more.
“You do have your good days and bad days with the bat and ball as an all-rounder,” he explains with a smile.
Having grown up in a sport enthusiastic family and playing during family get-togethers and outings, cricket is more than a hobby for him.
Amith is a great asset to his team and alongside his teammates, he ensures that Colita Cricket Club is a force to be reckoned with.
Some advise from Amith to amateur cricket players:
“In the wake of marketing the Twenty 20 cricket and the one-day World Cup, I think a lot of young players fall into the trap of thinking they have to be able to score a run at every ball or bowl every type of delivery to be worth a game. The best advice I can give to young players is, do ordinary things extraordinarily well. Only by doing this will they be able to achieve and sustain above-average performance.”
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