Mgijima eyes a place in SA ‘A’ team

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Within the next 21 days, Aviwe Mgijima might know if one of his long-term goals will be fulfilled.

The recently decorated Cape Cobras Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year might possibly be included in the South Africa ‘A’ squad for the tour of England, although it is too early to know for sure.

Linda Zondi, convenor of the national selection committee, told the Cape Cobras website that the squads for the tour of England might be finalized within the next two weeks, although it could possibly only be named at the end of April.

“This will include the South African test team, the One Day International squad and the T20 International squad for the matches against England, as well as the team for the ICC Champions Trophy and the SA ‘A’ squad,” he said.

Mgijima is one of the players who might be considered seriously for the SA ‘A’ team. He struck 431 runs in the Sunfoil Series at an average of 28.73 and hammered 246 runs for the Cobras with four fifties in the Momentum One Day Cup competition.

“I cannot really describe the feelings I experienced after being honoured. The accolade as Players’ Player of the Year almost meant more to me than the Player of the Year award, because my fellow players had voted for me.

“My next goal is to convert those half-centuries into hundreds. I want to become a top performer for the Cobras for many seasons to come. Obviously, I would love to play for South Africa ‘A’, and if I continue to shine, represent the Proteas.

“I reflect on the past two seasons. I started working with Ashwell Prince when he was batting coach a winter ago. He said technically he felt I was good enough. He spoke about the power of the mind. Ash said when he played for South Africa, he was not necessarily the flashiest player in the country, but he had a big heart and a clear mind on what he wanted to achieve.

“He also said that if you had a big heart and a clear vision of what you want to achieve, you can make it, and that advice stuck with me. I worked incredibly hard on my fitness and conditioning and that aided me,” Mgijima added.

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