Makhaya Ntini's son, Thando, speaks about the discrimination his dad faced at the Proteas

• Makhaya Ntini’s son, Thando, shared how his father doesn’t like speaking about his career with the Proteas
• As the first and only black person to play for the national cricket team at the time, Ntini felt discriminated against
• He said he stuck it out because he loved Cricket and he had a family to take care of

Former cricket player Makhaya Ntini’s son, Thando, shared his dad’s sad moments with the Proteas. Images: Getty Images/ @Paul Ghilam, Instagram/ @thando_ntini Source: UGC

South Africa’s former cricket professional player, Makhaya Ntini’s son, Thando, reflected on his father’s sad memories with the national cricket team.

Speaking on a podcast, The Load Shed, Thando said that his father didn’t talk nor like talking about his cricket career with the Proteas.

This is because Ntini was constantly fighting for his recognition and respect on the team.

“My dad doesn’t talk about his cricket career. He was constantly fighting for his life in that team, every day. You know, being the only guy there. It sucks to hear him when he’s like, he can count how many times he was invited to a dinner with the gents.”

See what Ntini’s son shared about his dad’s Protea career

Ntini describes his treatment at the Proteas

This comes after Ntini made headlines in 2020 following his interview on Morning Live, where he reflected on his sad time as a protea player.

He said Cricket was his job, he played it because he loved it, but it was also his way of putting food on the table.

Ntini expressed how he went through a lot of discrimination with the national cricket team—recalling one incident.

“I remember when were in Guyana, we almost lost a game, but we drew. I was called aside and told that I needed to pack my bags and go home because I wasn’t good enough for the team.”

Ntini said that at that moment, it never rang a bell until later when he asked himself why he was the one who was going to be sent home for the team’s disappointment.

In another story, Briefly News reported about a man who celebrated Proteas for winning against New Zealand in the World Cup.

A video posted by @nowellencharles shows how impressed he was with the Proteas winning against New Zealand. The match was nail-biting as South Africa had not won over New Zealand in Cricket for over two decades.

Many people are ready to rally behind the Proteas, just as they did for the Springboks. Many hoped South Africa would win the Cricket World Cup for the first time.