Exclusive: The Decade of Grit That Took Corbin Bosch to the Proteas' Test Team

The journey to the highest level of any sporting code differs for every athlete. Some athletes make it to the top in their teenage years while some only get there in their 30s.

The Decade-long Journey

Proteas fast bowler, Corbin Bosch, is one of the late bloomers.

Bosch, after taking 4/15 in 7.3 overs in the 2014 ICC Under World Cup final, helping South Africa win their first and only World Cup, disappeared into the domestic cricket wilderness.

In the meantime, his teammates, the likes of Kagiso Rabada broke through to the international stage in the very same year.

Bosch had to wait a whole decade to finally breakthrough into international cricket. The 30-year-old made his international debut against Pakistan last year, playing in the special breast cancer awareness Pink Ball One Day International in Johannesburg.

Shortly after that, Bosch earned his maiden Test call-up and received his baggy green during the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at his home ground, SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Many thought that Bosch would have a similar journey as the likes of Rabada, however, life played him a different hand.

The fast bowler had to play club cricket, hone his skills in Australia for a year and then come back to South Africa to try and break into domestic cricket once again.

Reflecting on his journey, Bosch told SportsBoom that the experience was humbling.

"Cricket has a funny way of humbling you at times where you come from an absolute high of winning the under-19 World Cup. It put everything into perspective that under-19 cricket is not Men's international cricket," Bosch told SportsBoom.co.za. 

"Some people make the step up quite quickly and I think it took me a bit of time. Fortunately, at the end of 2014, I played a lot of T20 games for the Titans until I got dropped and then I played club cricket for another year. After that, I went to Australia for a year."

"That's where I made it a mission to try to bowl a little faster and there's no better place to learn fast bowling than down under. When I came back, I played some amateur cricket for the Northerns and got a couple of injuries at bad times."

"I remember I broke my foot in 2018 and that kept me out for a year. I had back spasms and many freak accidents happened. The more you play, the better you get and improve with the guidance of really good cricketers who have helped me get to the position I'm at right now."

"I could have easily played for South Africa at 25 and be washed out by 26 or 27. But this journey has proven to me how special it is to play for your country. Seeing all the hard work come together has made the long journey all the worthwhile. Obviously, no one wants to wait for their 30s to play international cricket but the wait was definitely worth it."

Special ODI & Test Debut

Bosch had his brother, Eathan Bosch who also recently made his international debut for South Africa, support him in his debut international match.

However, the 30-year-old told SportsBoom that his mother's presence for his Test debut was even more special.

"The ODI call-up came out of nowhere whereas I knew I was going to be in the Test squad a week before and I was buzzing about that. My brother flew for my first international game from Durban which was really special," he added. 

"When I found out I was going to play the Test match in Pretoria, it couldn't have been any more fitting for my mom to be there, let alone getting a wicket off my first ball. That was incredible. Having her there for the entire Test match, I was super grateful."

Bosch has now been included in the Mumbai Indians squad for the upcoming India Premier League season.