Lungi Ngidi responds to critics: 'Fitness is just an opinion'
NGIDI HITS BACK Lungi Ngidi silenced his critics with a stellar 3/38 performance in the World Test Championship final, as he insisted fitness was a matter of opinion. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
Image: Michael Sherman/IOL
Lungi Ngidi has hit back at his critics following his top performance in the World Test Championship (WTC) final over the weekend.
Ahead of the WTC final, Ngidi had played no first-class cricket in the last few months except the two overs he bowled in the warm-up match against Zimbabwe last week.
In fact, Ngidi’s last first-class match was SA’s Test match against the West Indies in Port of Spain in August last year.
Though he went wicketless in the first innings of the WTC final, he came storming back in the second with 3/38, which included the key wicket of Steve Smith for 13 as South Africa went on to win by five wickets.
Ngidi’s Mental Resilience and Fitness Debate: Turning Criticism into Sensational Performance
“What I’ve tried to do is obviously just block out the noise. There was obviously a lot to be said before the Test series started, but now I haven’t heard anything but good things, so it’s funny how that’s turned on its head,” said Ngidi.
While the main issue was that Dane Paterson, who was not picked for the match XI, had played far more cricket in similar conditions, Ngidi took it as purely a question of his fitness.
“Fitness is always people’s opinions. You don’t get put on the field unless the fitness trainer or the coach knows that you’re going to be able to do a job.
“So it’s always a matter of opinion as most things are when it comes to what the guys are doing on the field. In that moment, I think it’s just a mental decision to push through whatever I’m feeling right now or whatever mental block I’ve got.
“It’s a matter of people’s opinions of when people say, oh, you look unfit, but if we had to probably run with each other, I’m probably the one who’s going to win.”
The way Ngidi turned it around in the second innings was nothing short of sensational, and the Proteas explained how he achieved the feat.
“After the first innings as well, like I said, I’ve been there before and I did struggle from that end as well. A couple of years ago, but it wasn’t a matter of, you know, doubt, it was just rhythm. And maybe trying too hard, especially maybe trying to prove a point.
“At that time in the game, obviously, KG [Kagiso Rabada] had started off unbelievably. So trying to match that in a sense. But then again, every bowler has his own processes. So in the second innings, it was more about focusing on what I know I can do and execute that as best as possible.”