PERSEVERANCE New Proteas player Corbin Bosch is also a genuine all-rounder as he wields the willow at an average of 41 in first-class and 40 in List A cricket, respectively. Picture: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
Kagiso Rabada is a household name with the Proteas, Corbin Bosch is not. Yet, these two tearaway quicks played alongside each other at the 2014 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Their victory in that tournament 11 years ago remains South Africa’s only Cricket World Cup title at any level. In the final against Pakistan, Rabada claimed figures of 1/26 while Bosch was the standout player of the match with 4/15 in just 7.3 overs.
Bosch is also a genuine all-rounder as he wields the willow at an average of 41 in first-class and 40 in List A cricket, respectively.
While Rabada quickly made his senior debut for the national team all those years ago, it would be over a decade before Bosch would achieve the same feat. Bosch even had to ply his trade in club cricket not long after representing South Africa Under-19s.
In fact, Bosch finally made his senior international debut at the age of 30 in December with two One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and one Test.
In that debut Boxing Day Test against Pakistan in Centurion, he also scored 81 and claimed 4/63.
In the two ODIs, he has scored 55 runs without being dismissed and taken two wickets with the ball.
"Cricket has a funny way of humbling you at times where you come from an absolute high of winning the under-19 World Cup. It put everything into perspective that under-19 cricket is not men’s international cricket," Bosch told SportsBoom.co.za.
"Some people make the step up quite quickly, and I think it took me a bit of time. Fortunately, at the end of 2014, I played a lot of T20 games for the Titans until I got dropped, and then I played club cricket for another year. After that, I went to Australia for a year.”
Bosch said he made it his mission in Australia to try and bowl faster, but on his return to South Africa, injury struck.
"I remember I broke my foot in 2018, and that kept me out for a year. I had back spasms, and many freak accidents happened. The more you play, the better you get and improve with the guidance of really good cricketers who have helped me get to the position I'm at right now."
"I could have easily played for South Africa at 25 and be washed out by 26 or 27. But this journey has proven to me how special it is to play for your country. Seeing all the hard work come together has made the long journey all the worthwhile. Obviously, no one wants to wait for their 30s to play international cricket, but the wait was definitely worth it.”
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