Mfuneko Ngam

Mfuneko Ngam Biography

Had he not been plagued by one stress fracture after another, Mfuneko Ngam would probably have found a place in the pantheon of great South African bowlers. He had a smooth run-up — which made his injuries even more inexplicable — and was one of the fastest bowlers in the world when he broke through.

Ngam’s 11 wickets from 3 Tests came at 17.18 (and a strike rate of 35.6 to boot), but the numbers could have been better. He took 2 for 34 on debut against Sri Lanka, but not before Daryll Cullinan had dropped Adam Parore twice off him. Black Thunder, they used to call him.

He took 3 more wickets in the next Test. And in his next, against New Zealand at Cape Town, Ngam took 3 for 26 and 3 for 36. He earned a central contract that season. The next year Ngam and Makhaya Ntini became the first black cricketers to be named among South African Cricketers of the Year.

Unfortunately, Ngam never made a Test comeback. His entire Test career lasted less than a month.

He languished in domestic cricket for a few years before fading out completely. Never the same bowler again, Ngam finished with 115 First-Class wickets at 32.

Years before that, however, Ngam had to wage many a battle. He was the only black South African Test cricketer to have not attended an elite school. His underprivileged financial background meant that his diet was far from ideal. Sports scientists later cited calcium deficiency as a reason for Ngam’s injuries. His bones were too brittle, they said. He never received proper coaching, either.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Mfuneko Ngam Batting & Fielding Averages

Career

Avg

100s

50s

Test

ODIs

T20s

World Cup

Mfuneko Ngam Bowling Averages

Career	M	B	R	W	Avg	EC	SR	5WI	10WM	BBI	BBM
Test	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
ODIs	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
T20s	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--		--