Tour Diary with Myron Naicker: A dark skinned brother meets the Red Dragon

I have been based here for the past week ahead of the Proteas' clash against Afghanistan, and I must admit that while Southampton was good to me, it felt good to leave after the rained out match against the West Indies, and, of course, the ghastly AB De Villiers story which swept through the cricket world like wildfire.

A lot has happened since we last spoke, most importantly, South Africa are on the board.

It is a bit too early to calculate what the Proteas need to do or what needs to happen for them to make the semi-finals at this point, just know that while it may be complex, it is achievable.

Think about Lloyd’s response to Mary Swanson in 'Dumb and Dumber' when he asked if there was any chance of them ending up together. Swanson said, ‘maybe one in a million’, which Lloyd countered, ‘So you’re telling me there’s a chance?'

READ: UK Tour Diary with Myron Naicker: Smiling faces, retired folk and the smell of the ocean

Jokes aside, the belief remains strong.

It has been three weeks on the road now and life on tour can get exhausting at times. Familiar faces and good company make the long days fly by. In Southampton I linked up with Cape Town-based cricket journalists Nasri Alexander and Zaahier Adams. The three of us spent many a night smashing a chow at the local Pakistani and Indian restaurants.

The cricket is consuming, so in our down time, we try not to talk too much about it. Instead, the conversation swings to football. Alexander is a life-long Santos fan while Adams supports Merseyside’s six-time Champions League winners, so you can imagine the banter!

My hotel is in Newport, 10 kilometers away from the capital, Cardiff. 

You know, wherever I venture, I carry my South African, ‘street wise’ valour with me, even in uber safe cities like Singapore. I am not talking bravado here, it is just me trying to stay out of trouble.

As I was about to leave for dinner on my first night here, I asked the receptionist, a Welsh-born Asian brother, if it was safe to walk through the town at night. He said, "You are a dark-skinned brother so you are good, yea." 

So, what does the hue of my skin have to do with anything, I asked? “We dominate here my friend, dark skin people run Newport," he said with a grin.

While this little neck of the woods has a rough reputation, make no mistake, I am in the inner circle. Hosh!

Keep up to date with the latest Cricket World Cup action with Myron Naicker as he brings us exclusive updates from England. Find the lastest update in the podcast channel below: