From Steve Waugh carrying a red handkerchief while batting to Sanath Jayasuriya touching each equipment before facing a ball, cricketers are apparently some of the most superstitious sportspersons. But you will not believe what former South African pace bowler used to do in the name of superstition. In a recent interview with Cricket Monthly, Makhaya Ntini revealed that he carried a good-luck charm in his cricket kit everywhere he went — a piece of cow dung wrapped in a plastic bag. Just imagine, isn’t that gross?
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Now, let us find out why he believed in such a weird superstition. Ntini, who was the first black cricketer for South Africa, grew up in a rural area in the country’s Eastern Cape. They could not even afford shoes which would help him combat the cold. So, here is what they used to do. Ntini and his friends used to stand on fresh manure to keep their feet warm and avoid being frost-bitten.
Here is what his statement read,
“It was always the same piece of dung throughout my career and was my lucky charm that kept me grounded, I would even kiss it when I needed a little extra out on the field. It clearly worked — just look at my stats!”
He did not stop there, he also revealed that he would go and pee on his hands and splash it on his face.
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Ntini scalped 390 wickets in 101 Tests for his country and 266 wickets in 173 ODIs. Are there more such bowlers who follow such superstitious beliefs seriously? Well, we hope not!
