World Cup is a dream come true for me says Lungi Ngidi ahead of CWC19

May 23 (CRICKETNMORE) - Lungi Ngidi went off the grid before traveling to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup but the South African quick insists he is charged up and ready for his shot at history.

The 23-year-old switched his phone off and disappeared for a week to let his call-up sink in, the highlight in a meteoric rise that has seen him progress from raw youngster to dominant opening bowler in just 18 months.

The right-armer only made his one-day debut in February last year but he has quickly become a focal point of the attack, taking 34 wickets in 18 games so far.

Ngidi has also made his mark in the other two formats – he took 6-39 on his Test debut against India - but it’s a place in Ottis Gibson’s squad that really stopped him in his tracks.

“Before we came on this tour, I had to take a week to get away from everything. It did not have time to sink in,” he said.

“I went away for a few days and turned my phone off to just let what is happening to soak in. I have always dreamed of going to a World Cup and now it’s happening.

“I needed that time. Things can so easily fly by and you forget just how special they are. I had a lot of messages when I turned it back on and I still haven’t responded to them all.

“My mum and dad turned their phones off too because people know if they can’t contact me, they will contact them instead!”

For Ngidi, it’s the realisation of a dream 16 years in the making.

He sat glued to the 2003 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup where his idol, Shaun Pollock, led the South African attack on home soil and he now wants to create a legacy of his own.

“Everything has happened faster than I expected so I am just trying to take everything in my stride,” he added.

“This is my first World Cup, I am very excited and so I have nothing but a positive mindset.

“There has been a lot of talk and hype around the World Cup but I have blocked that out from my preparation and from what I want to achieve.

 “I remember watching the tournament we hosted in 2003 and that was an amazing memory. I remember them losing and seeing how distraught they all were, it was engraved on my mind. 

“They were looking to change history and now we are doing the same and win South Africa's first. I am very excited at that prospect.”

Gibson’s instruction to the 90mph bowler is simple: bowl hard and fast to take wickets at both the beginning and end of an innings.

With Kagiso Rabada – the world’s fifth-ranked one-day bowler – also in the mix, South Africa boast one of the most potent partnerships in the tournament.

England are the first side to face them this summer when they play in the tournament’s opener at The Oval and Ngidi is already counting down the days.

“There will be some butterflies but bowling that first ball is the stuff you look forward to and the stuff you want to experience,” he added.

“The first step for me is the semi-finals. We have six games to win and that is the main target. That’s all I am thinking about."

ICC Media Release