Picture Neil Smith
Sibonelo Makhanya was over the moon to be selected by the Cape Town Blitz at the Mzansi Super League Draft and calls PPC Newlands home.
The 22-year-old, who spent the past summer with Basingstoke & North Hants, was picked up in the 12th round by coach Ashwell Prince and joins best friend and house-mate Andile Phehlukwayo in the squad. The Proteas all-rounder was the Cape Town Blitz' first-round pick.
"First of all, I was wishing to get in, and then when I got called for the Cape Town Blitz, I was over the moon. Andile [Phehlukwayo] was the first guy to message me, telling me that we are going to have a great time and it's going to be amazing," Makhanya said.
"It's Cape Town, the people are very friendly and outgoing, there is so much to do and it's just beautiful. It's got this foreign vibe about it and it's almost like a holiday destination.
"For the first time, it is going to be lovely to play with the crowd on my side because they are not the greatest when you are playing against their team. They are very passionate and I am looking forward to fuelling their fire," he added.
The all-rounder, whom Basingstoke would dearly love to have back at May’s Bounty in 2019, is looking forward to playing alongside Proteas Dale Steyn, Quinton de Kock, England International Dawid Malan and West Indian Samuel Badree, while also linking up once again with one of his World Cup-winning SA Under-19 teammates.
"Those are some massive names that one can only learn a wealth of experience from. I'm also looking forward to joining up again with Jason Smith - who I played SA U-19 with, and I think it's going to be loads of fun," he stated.
Cape Town Blitz hosts the Tshwane Spartans at PPC Newlands for the opening match of the Mzansi Super League on November 16.
The 22-year-old, who spent the past summer with Basingstoke & North Hants, was picked up in the 12th round by coach Ashwell Prince and joins best friend and house-mate Andile Phehlukwayo in the squad. The Proteas all-rounder was the Cape Town Blitz' first-round pick.
"First of all, I was wishing to get in, and then when I got called for the Cape Town Blitz, I was over the moon. Andile [Phehlukwayo] was the first guy to message me, telling me that we are going to have a great time and it's going to be amazing," Makhanya said.
"It's Cape Town, the people are very friendly and outgoing, there is so much to do and it's just beautiful. It's got this foreign vibe about it and it's almost like a holiday destination.
"For the first time, it is going to be lovely to play with the crowd on my side because they are not the greatest when you are playing against their team. They are very passionate and I am looking forward to fuelling their fire," he added.
The all-rounder, whom Basingstoke would dearly love to have back at May’s Bounty in 2019, is looking forward to playing alongside Proteas Dale Steyn, Quinton de Kock, England International Dawid Malan and West Indian Samuel Badree, while also linking up once again with one of his World Cup-winning SA Under-19 teammates.
"Those are some massive names that one can only learn a wealth of experience from. I'm also looking forward to joining up again with Jason Smith - who I played SA U-19 with, and I think it's going to be loads of fun," he stated.
Cape Town Blitz hosts the Tshwane Spartans at PPC Newlands for the opening match of the Mzansi Super League on November 16.
