The Makhaya Ntini appreciation thread

[Pratters]

He's the best bloke, was always a fan of his but when I spoke to him and saw how he treated cricket fans when he came here for the Super Series, he became one of my favourite players. He was so excited to be part of the World XI squad (unlike others), he just appreciated the chance.

At the last India-South Africa test in the Eden, Ntini started dancing weirdly at the boundary and excited the section of the Eden crowd amazingly. The way he got involved with and enthused the crowd charmed me as well.

 

[Richard]

If you go post WWII, I'd say (not in particular order):

McGrath, Marshall, Ambrose, Hadlee, Trueman, Imran, Lillee, Donald, Wasim, Holding, Waqar, Garner, Walsh, Davidson, Miller,Lindwall, Pollock.

Ntini wouldn't be in the top twenty.

I'd say something like that - but not totally sure about Walsh, and Waqar's so polarised you either have to go top-of-the-tree or not at all, really. IMO Pollock would be above both.

And for me the modern era doesn't include Trueman, he's more of the period before that - ie 1930-1970. In with the Lindwalls, Adcocks, Stathams, Millers, Heines and Halls.

The modern era for me is post-1970 (and that date for no other reason than the line has to be drawn somewhere and a decade is as good a place as any - plus, especially significant for English players, that's when pitches started getting covered over here).

I also think there's daylight between Marshall and the group behind him (Ambrose, Hadlee, Imran, Wasim, Donald, McGrath, Garner, Holding, maybe 1 or 2 more I've forgotten).

I'd not disagree that Ntini wouldn't be in the top 20 but as I say - who knows how good he might have been with Donald and Pollock around him? Maybe better, maybe not as good.

 

[Anil]

I said nothing of the sort. I would never say he is guilty, what I am saying is that all this talk from guys saying he is a great guy when they dont know him (as I dont) seems strange.

judging from your posts above, you seem to have made up your mind that he is not even though you say you don't know him....

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Good good bowler but does need to do some thing about his away record where he averages around 38. Needs to get it to atleast belowe 30 for my liking

He averages 28podd away from SA since the start of 2005, which is essentially the start of his great run. 31 wickets in 8 games. 39 wickets in his last 10.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

All true, but i'd still say Akhtar is a whisker ahead of him. Ntini hardly misses a game through injury thus he would have a statistical edge over Akhtar if you want to judge their performances over the past few years. But Akhtar vs Ntini in full blast i'll give it to the Rawalpindi express..

How can Akhtar be better if he's not playing international cricket half the time? Ntini is the best fast bowler in international cricket.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Its been insinuated that hes a rapist Langs, by none other than Goughy. He can't possibly be a good man.

Do you enjoy stirring something from nothing? Get off it, thanks.

 

[Richard]

How can Akhtar be better if he's not playing international cricket half the time? Ntini is the best fast bowler in international cricket.

Shoaib has played virtually nothing in the last 12 months.

No way has he been a better bowler than Ntini in that time.

 

[Richard]

Do you enjoy stirring something from nothing? Get off it, thanks.

It did seem a slightly bizarre "attack for no reason".

 

[marc71178]

Same as McGrath's boots?

McGrath's boots looked like a proper job.

That T shirt is a hastily scribbled piece of rubbish.

 

[Richard]

Maybe Makhaya likes scribbling better than "proper jobs"?

It's his T-shirt, why can't he have what he wants?!

 

[C_C]

McGrath's boots looked like a proper job.

That T shirt is a hastily scribbled piece of rubbish.

In my perspective, it is a lot better to have that hastily scribbled piece of rubbish, as you put it, than McGrath's slick job.
Not only is it more spontaneous and something HE actually did, it has a remarkable breath of fresh air to it than projecting an *nal retentive 'nooo i maaast get ze stoopid signs and scribbles done een a professional manner......' attitude.

 

[Richard]

^^^^ Even I laughed at that...

BTW, what on Earth's with Getafix in your avatar?

 

[shortpitched713]

Do you enjoy stirring something from nothing? Get off it, thanks.

Sorry about that, got a bit carried away. I'll try not to let that happen again.

 

[Buddhmaster]

I'm with Goughy here. Great bowler, shady past.

 

[Goughy]

judging from your posts above, you seem to have made up your mind that he is not even though you say you don't know him....

I have no idea whether is his a good guy or not. He certainly could be. However, my point is more to do with people talking about celebrities and their public face rather than Ntini himself.

I prefer it if the congrats were left to his cricketing achievements and praise is limited to on-field performances rather than including praise for their character when we dont know them.

With Ntini (as with all), it is clear that there are things we do not know about him and I get a bit of a shudder when fans talk about what a great guy someone is that they dont really know.

Its been insinuated that hes a rapist Langs, by none other than Goughy. He can't possibly be a good man.

Im not insinuating anything or accusing him of anything. The fact of the situation is that he was sentanced to 6 years in prison for rape in 1999 and was released on appeal. That is fact not insinuation. There are no rumours or any opinion there.

 

[pasag]

*still appreciates*

 

[Perm]

Well done Makhaya, regardless of his shady past that Goughy is mentioning he seems a superb bloke and I can only hope those accusations were incorrect, much like the ones made about Roger Randle.

 

[adharcric]

It appears as if people are representing Ntini as a nice guy because of their personal interactions with him as fans.
Goughy, you do raise a good point; you usually can't read someone's character that easily. Still, he does seem like a nice guy.

 

[aussie]

I don't quite think so...

For a long, long time he blew hot and cold, having as many if not more ineffective days as effective. He's suffered more, in my view, than anyone from the inexplicable lack of third-man we see most of the time today. It's often given the impression that he's more wayward than he is. More often than not, he's always been on the money, though he's also had times when things have gone badly wrong..

All true, but i'm not sure what you show me that linked off his entire career?, the period i was refering to was from the Lord's test 2003 to the just concluded test vs PAK.

 

[aussie]

How can Akhtar be better if he's not playing international cricket half the time? Ntini is the best fast bowler in international cricket.

Thats not what i'm saying yo. I'm not disagreeing that Ntini since he plays all the time has been the best fast bowler in the world over the last year at least. But Akhtar & even Bond (regardless of the fact the these two blokes are regularly injured) are slightly better than him.