Makhaya Ntini: Former Proteas Player Speaks Out on Racism Claims
- Despite being one of South Africa’s top cricketers, Makhaya Ntini often felt excluded and isolated within the Proteas squad
- Old interviews and clips have resurfaced online, sparking heated conversations on social media about whether racism played a role in Ntini’s experience
- Some former teammates, including Herschelle Gibbs, have responded to the claims, sharing their perspective while leaving fans debating
A former South African cricketer has responded to resurfaced claims that Makhaya Ntini faced racism while playing for the Proteas. The debate follows an old interview clip of Ntini’s son, Thando Ntini, describing his father’s struggles with exclusion and discrimination during his international cricket career.
Source: Getty Images
Makhaya Ntini, South Africa’s first black Test cricketer, retired in 2011 after more than a decade representing the national team. Despite his achievements, Thando says his father often felt isolated and excluded.
“He was constantly fighting for his life in that team, every day,”
Thando said on the sports podcast The Load Shed in a 2024 clip that has gone viral in recent days.
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“Being the only black guy there, it sucks to hear he could count on one hand the times he was invited to a dinner with the gents… Even though he was good enough.”
Watch the video of Thando below:
Thando discloses heartbreaking details about father
Thando Ntini’s account showed the daily challenges Makhaya faced while trying to secure his place in the squad and provide for his family. The former cricketer himself has previously spoken about the racism he endured. In a 2020 Morning Live interview, Ntini described being snubbed by white teammates, even during meals and team travel.
“I was forever lonely,” Ntini said.
“We’re playing on the same team, practicing at the same time, bowling to each other, wearing the same clothes, and singing the same national anthem. But I was forced to avoid the team bus and run to training on my own. You could see it, me sitting at the back while everyone else sat in front.”
Watch Makhaya Ntini’s video below:
The resurfaced clip has sparked outrage on social media. Radio personality Sol Phenduka questioned why teammates excluded a key contributor to the team, while music producer Prince Kaybee expressed disbelief over the treatment Ntini received.
Source: Getty Images
Former Proteas player reacts to racism claims
Former Proteas star and cricket legend Herschelle Gibbs responded to questions about the allegations, stating,
“I’m not white, so you gotta ask other guys.”
Gibbs, who trended in February for a social media post criticising President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, sparked fresh debate as South Africans shared divided opinions after the clip resurfaced on X.
@Tshepixo__21:
''Wow, he kept going regardless''
@Mthoko_Maj:
''The more you hear , the worse it gets. It was all to ensure he doesn’t succeed.''
@sean_billett:
''I remember reading that he used to jog to the stadiums rather than travel on the bus with his teammates.''
@Jefferson30JA:
'' Makhaya Ntini story made me hate cricket, I use to love cricket and played at high school but I once saw an interview of Ntini and how he was treated in the Proteas team and ProteasMenCSA sweeped everything under the carpet. I was disgusted and stop even watching cricket.''
Cricket South Africa has never commented on the claims made by Makhaya and the latest ones by Thando. Briefly News sought a comment from the association, but no reply had been recived by the time of going to Press.
How Jacques Kallis built his fortune
Briefly News previously reported that former Proteas all-rounder Jacques Kallis is regarded as one of the richest sports stars to emerge from South Africa.
His iconic career began with his debut in 1995, and he soon became a central figure in South Africa’s golden generation of the 2000s.
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Source: Briefly News
