South African left-arm pacer Nandre Burger never aspired to be a cricketer. However, destiny led him to embrace the sport wholeheartedly. He revealed that he only saw cricket as a means to pursue education without a financial burden.
Nandre Burger was admitted to the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) with a full scholarship to pursue a psychology major. He was selected for the university through a cricket selection trial. The university coach, Neil Levenson, identified him as a prospective fast bowler for the national team. Burger revealed that he later started enjoying the sport.
“Sounds strange, right. WITS offered a scholarship for those who played cricket. I thought it was cool. I didn’t want to be a cricketer, but I was getting a free way to study, so I thought, why not? Cricket was actually my back-up to academics (laughs),” Burger said to ESPNCricinfo.
“I laughed it off at first. I was like, ‘Man, I bowl at 125kph, can’t do this for a living. I’ve seen guys bowl 145kph.’ Neil would have none of that. I said to him, ‘Okay, I’ll give this a go.’ And within a few weeks, I was excited to train. I’d miss classes to be at training, wanting to work batters over,”
“Then I got the chance to be a net bowler at the franchise team in Jo’burg – Highveld Lions. I’d always played cricket in the backyard with friends and parents, but wouldn’t say I ever had the desire to be a professional,” he added.
Nandre Burger recalls IPL selection
Nandre Burger’s dedication led the pacer to make his debut for South Africa in December last year. He has played two Tests, three ODIs, and a T20 International for South Africa. He has taken 17 International wickets so far, including a best figures of 3/30 against India last December. Burger also earned an IPL contract from the Rajasthan Royals worth INR 50 lakhs. Recalling the day when he was signed by the Rajasthan Royals, Nandre Burger said,
“As I walked off the field, Pommie (Mbangwa) and Shaun Pollock were like, ‘Well bowled, and congrats,’ and I’m thinking, congrats for taking three wickets? Congrats for bowling ten overs? It wasn’t even my debut, so I’m confused. I go in, change and come back down again,” he said.
“Shaun was like, ‘I’m sure you’re so excited.’ I still didn’t get it, so I said, ‘Yeah, it’s cool, I think I got my first (ODI) wicket, so it’s a great feeling.’ Then he’s like, ‘No man, I mean for the IPL. You’re going to play for Rajasthan Royals’.
Nandre Burger further recalled, “Everyone was saying ‘Congratulations’ and I was oblivious to what was happening. After the game, when I put my phone on, all I read was ‘congrats, congrats, congrats’ and ‘well done, well done’. I didn’t know if it was for the game or IPL.”
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
