Banned South African cricketer Lonwabo Tsotsobe revealed that it ‘would be a dream to mentor young kids.’
The former Proteas and Lions cricketer, who was banned for eight years in 2017 for breaching the anti-corruption code for personnel (‘the Code’). This came after Tsotsobe, along with former Titans player Gulam Bodi had admitted to attempting to fix matches in the 2015 Ram Slam T20 Challenge.
Five other players – Jean Symes, Ethy Mbhalati, Pumelela Matshikwe, Thami Tsolekile and Alviro Petersen – have since admitted violations of the Code and have been banned for periods ranging between two to 12 years.
ALSO READ: Tsotsobe to serve eight-year ban
Tsotsobe revealed his future plans in an exclusive interview with Sport24.
‘Cricket was my life and [when imposed with an eight-year ban in 2017 for several breaches of Cricket South Africa’s anti-corruption code for personnel] I knew that it wouldn’t be the same,’ he said. ‘When a person is banned, it’s human nature to want to hide and not let people see you.
‘The way I coped was by having a good support structure at home. I thought about staying at my house and not being seen, but my mom did a great job with me. She said, “You did what you did, let it be and move on with life.”
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‘As far as playing cricket again is concerned, I reckon I am too old to get a second chance. However, with the experience I gained playing for South Africa for six years, it would be a dream to mentor the young kids and give back to the game in the future. I would be happy to work with small teams because that is where your great players begin.
‘I could easily say that I can deal with life after cricket – as a businessman and DJ – but cricket is what I believe in, and at some stage I would want to share all the expertise I accumulated over the years. Though I can survive without cricket, my wish is to see more upcoming black African talent emerge.’
ALSO READ: ‘Miller is a hit-and-miss player’ – Tsotsobe
Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
