'He had a fantastic time out there' - AB de Villiers on Kwena Maphaka's impressive Test debut

Left-arm pacer Kwena Maphaka at 18 years and 272 days old, became South Africa’s youngest Test debutant, coming onto the field during the second Test against Pakistan in Cape Town. In this match, Maphaka not only registered his name by becoming the youngest debutant but also claimed Babar Azam’s wicket as his first in red-ball cricket.

Under the leadership of Temba Bavuma, the Proteas clinched a brilliant 10-wicket victory over Pakistan to secure a 2-0 series whitewash. On a flat track that assisted bowlers, Maphaka’s bowling earned him praise from various quarters. In the same innings, he bagged the wicket of Khurram Shahzad and followed it up by dismissing Shan Masood in the subsequent innings.

Maphaka grabbed the eyeballs with his performances at the Under-19 World Cup, where he topped the wicket-takers list. South African legend AB de Villiers, speaking ahead of the upcoming SA20 season, shared his views on Maphaka’s potential and future. 

“Kwena Maphaka had a taste of international cricket now. He played this last Test match in Cape Town. I think it was a great experience for him. He didn't shoot the lights out, but he still bowled very well. Having had Rabada around him with a lot of experience, and Marco Jansen as well, I think he had a fantastic time out there. It will bode well for him in his future, especially this T20 tournament," he said.

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Should learn his own game and get better: AB de Villiers

De Villiers emphasized the importance of gradual development for Maphaka. The legendary batter also revealed that the youngster should learn from all the experiences and make himself an even better pacer for the future.

"He's still got a lot to learn. I don't think his time at Mumbai Indians wasn’t very pleasant. He didn't play a lot, and when he did play, he ran into Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma in Hyderabad, where it was really tough going. But he's a youngster that's got a lot to learn, but with a lot of potential for the future. I think the key for him this season will not be to try and be the best and try and shoot lights out. More so, I think it will be for him to take learning from every experience and become better at that and become more consistent and to understand his game a bit better," he added.

The 40-year-old painted a long-term vision for the 18-year-old and asked to take care of his body and make sure to understand it gradually.

"He's very, very young still. For me, it will be important for the coaching staff and the captain and the leaders around him to take care of him, protect him at all times, maybe even for the captain to bowl him in favourable conditions and favourable situations of the game. In that way, you can really look after him, not let him get too much scarring from the brutality of T20 cricket, but at the same time, learn his own game and get better, understand his own strengths and weaknesses. I think that will be the most important thing for this season. Having a long-term outlook, when he reaches a peak where he really understands his own game and then really starts winning games of cricket for his team,” De Villiers concluded.