Maphaka: KG, Lungi, Marco showed what it means to be a good pace attack

WHEN Kagiso Rabada handed Kwena Maphaka his maiden ODI cap last summer, he reiterated the Proteas team ethos - “to those before us and those to come” - in a speech that passed down a long-standing tradition.

- ONGAMA GCWABE

That painted a vivid picture of what it means to play for the country and what is expected of a Proteas player.

Six months later, Maphaka, 19, is about to take on the biggest responsibility of his young career: leading the South African pace attack for the first time in Test cricket in the absence of the rested Rabada and the other senior quicks.

To his advantage, the heroics of Lord’s remain a fresh memory. Rabada’s nine-wicket haul, along with the 11 other Australian wickets shared amongst the bowlers, offers a perfect template of what a Proteas bowling performance should look like.