Player Profile: Naudé Botha (St Andrew’s School)
“Naudé achieved 111 caps for St Andrew’s School, not only because of his playing ability, but also because of the positive energy he brings to the team environment.
“He’s always welcome back at St Andrew’s and will be staying at the boarding house next year while studying – both to develop his game and to give back to the school by helping out the younger pupils.”
St Andrew’s School and 2025 Free State u19 Khaya Majola Head Coach, AJ van Wyk shared those words about Naudé Botha’s contribution to his team, and the school at large this week.
St Andrew’s has earned a reputation as a leading cricket-playing school by taking on teams from all across South Africa with success and has a strong record of producing South African Schools‘ players.
For Botha, choosing the Bloemfontein school was, however, about more than a cricket decision, although it has played a big role in his time there.
“It’s because of the opportunity, not just the opportunity to play cricket against top schools in our country, but it was an opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone and experience a bit of independence and thinking for myself,” he said of his decision to make Saints his high school.
“Being away from home is not easy but coming to St Andrew’s is definitely the best decision I have made so far. Another factor was when I came to St Andrew’s just to see what it was like and to walk around the school, I got a feeling in me that I belong here, and I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself.”
The batting all-rounder – he is also a wicketkeeper – is one of those personalities who brings out the best in those around him. He also delivers major contributions.
He was one of only two players to score a century at last year’s Khaya Majola Week and is often one of the top scorers in a match. It’s easy to see his value at the crease. However, there is more to see beneath the helmet.
When asked about the aspect of his game which he feels he needs to most work on, Botha didn’t mention any technical aspects. Instead, he addressed his mentality: “I would say just the ability to keep on going when I start well with the bat. I think there’s a lot of times when I get past fifty, and then suddenly, I lose my wicket cheaply. I think that’s cost me a lot of big scores so far. So, I think it’s best to just keep my focus for a longer period, and to simply take it ball by ball.”
On his mentality, coach Van Wyk spoke highly of the player’s positivity, loyalty and faith in God. He also spoke of the left-hander’s ability to perform when the challenges are at their toughest. “He’s one of those players who rises to the occasion. The better the bowler, the better he bats,” Van Wyk said.
The Saints star’ has predictably retained his spot in the Free State Khaya Majola team. He’s one of four players to achieve that feat, along with his St Andrew’s teammate, Cullen Kakora.
The Free State’s 13-player squad features six St Andrew’s players in total. Apart from Botha and Kakora, FG Botha, Nikhil Sukraj, Andrew Sobiech, and Bohlokwa Leketa were also included in the line-up. They’ll be in action in familiar conditions when the Khaya Majola Week takes place in Bloemfontein from 16 to 21 December.
But what does the future hold for Naudé Botha after school?
He shared some of his goals and dreams with SuperSport Schools Plus: “It would be to play cricket professionally. It has been a dream of mine for a long time. I remember imagining myself playing cricket professionally when I hit balls in my backyard, so that is something I want to work towards.
“As for my personal life, I want to finish my studies at the University of the Free State, where I am starting next year, and just to grow as a person, both mentally and spiritually.”
There’s a quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which goes: “Sure he that made us with such large discourse, looking before and after, gave us not that capability and God-like reason to fust in us unused.”
Essentially, Hamlet is saying that God has not given us our talents randomly. Rather, he has given them to us so that we may use them. Naudé Botha has clearly understood his God-given talents. With his good nature, it’s easy to root for him to succeed in fulfilling his potential.
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