Who is South African pacer Ottneil Baartman?

Rising pacer Ottneil Baartman has been a vital cog in South Africa's bowling unit in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. The 31-year-old represented the Proteas just once before the marquee event and it was against the West Indies at Sabina Park on May 5, 2023. The Cricket South Africa (CSA) selectors made a bold call by picking him in the squad but he has repaid the faith by delivering some impactful performances for the Rainbow Nation in the World Cup.

The right-arm pacer has played five out of South Africa's first six games in the 20-team tournament. He has taken six wickets at an average of 15.67 and a strike rate of 19. His economy rate is under five and his best performance came against the Netherlands, as he finished with figures of 4/11 in four overs.

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Ottneil Baartman was picked primarily on the basis of his excellent performance in the second season of the SA20. He finished with 18 wickets at an average of 11.77 and an economy rate of 6.95 in the cash-rich league. Baartman was the second-highest wicket-taker of the season behind Marco Jansen’s tally of 20. He took an impressive 4-10 in the first Qualifier against Durban Super Giants, giving his team, Sunrisers Eastern Cape a direct route to the final, which they went on to win.

Baartman’s mother wanted his son to focus primarily on academics. “I had the opportunity to go to a private school but my mother did not recommend that. It was one of those things where they just focused on sport and not academics. For us, it was: you have to learn first before you can play sport," Baartman was quoted as saying by Wisden.

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The Oudtshoorn-born followed his dream of representing the national team and now he is one of their bowling mainstays in what is turning out to be a memorable campaign for the Aiden Markram-led side. South Africa have won six games in a row and are on the brink of qualification to the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup.