Cricket world champs honoured

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has honoured the cricketers who were crowned champions of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.

Mbalula handed the ‘Baby Proteas’, as they are affectionately known, a cheque of R200 000 which he said was for the players and their technical staff to use as they wish.

“When we talk about winning, this is what we are talking about. This is not fake, mediocre or plastic. This is the real thing. This team has a great future ahead of them and I would like to urge Cricket South Africa to nurture them for the future,” Minister Mbalula said.

He was speaking at a ceremony at the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton City to honour the Baby Proteas after their recent victory in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Mbalula said he would like to “thank the parents who gave birth to this excellent bunch of youngsters. They are a bunch of winners and we have come to honour them”. The minister attracted criticism when he described Bafana Bafana as “a bunch of losers” when they were beaten by Nigeria in a recent match.

The Junior Proteas conquered everything before them, including world cricketing giants India, Australia and Pakistan. They beat Pakistan with four wickets in the final to be crowned world champions.

Budding Fourways cricketer Kagiso Rabada, better known as KG to his team mates, was described by team captain Aiden Markram as the “star of the tournament”, as he helped the team to win.

“I am proud of KG and I think he has a great cricketing career ahead of him. He could be our next Makhaya Ntini,” said Markram at the award ceremony. “I owe all my achievements in the World Cup to my team mates.”