Proteas star Breetzke’s rise to the IPL through Gwavu's lens

YEAR in, year out, South African stars break into the Indian Premier League on the back of impressive perfor- mances on the international cricket stage.

- ONGAMA GCWABE

This year, Matthew Breetzke, a Ggeberha-born batter, finally broke into the IPL, roped in by the Lucknow Super Giants, joining fellow Proteas players Aiden Markram and David Miller.

This came after Breetzke’s consistent performances in the SA20 and his record-breaking 150 on his ODI debut last month in Pakistan.

However, the 26-year-old’s rise started decades ago, and no one narrates it better than the Proteas’ white-ball fielding coach, Wandile Gwavu.

From Eastern Province Under-13 in 2010, to South Africa Under-19, Gwavu was coaching Breetzke up to now at the Proteas, where their paths have crossed once again.