When Makhaya Ntini announced his retirement from all forms of cricket last year, South Africa's cricket community feared losing majority of its black fans, who were originally drawn into the sport by Ntini. <table style="width: 58px; height: 42px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="58" align="right" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/jan/lon.jpg" border="0" /></td></tr> <tr> <td> Lonwabo Tsotsobe </td></tr></tbody></table>But, the 'Lopsy' chants are getting louder with each game. In the previous two one-day internationals against India, Lonwabo Tsotsobe registered figures of 4-31 and 4-22, emerging as the visitors' chief destroyer on both occasions. At the end of the first Test against India at Centurion last month, there were detractors labelling Tsotsobe as the weak link in South Africa's attack. Not an express bowler by any stretch of the imagination, his natural ball is the one that shapes away from right-handers, with hardly any variations in his armoury. However, just like his predecessor Ntini, Tsotsobe has learnt that fast bowling is about relentlessness. In the ongoing ODIs, the left-armer has got a bagful of wickets swinging the ball back to right-handers. "I'm so happy for Lopsy's rise. He was always destined to go the distance, there were doubters, but now people are finally acknowledging his ability," Ntini told MiD DAY. "It's a game of confidence. If you invest in somebody and back him till the end, he is bound to do well in the long run. After my retirement, it was very important for more black cricketers to succeed at the highest level. I am pleased for Lopsy. "This is just the beginning for him. I want him to keep a good head on his shoulders, and hustle day in and day out, not just for himself, but his fans, and for the country. He has the right attitude to succeed, and must not get carried away," added Ntini. South Africa's chief selector Andrew Hudson too acknowledged Tsotsobe's rise in stature: "The sort of ovation he receives when he steps out to bat or bowl, just goes on to show that he is quickly turning into an iconic cricketer. Like I said before, we have been trying to retain the services of Makhaya in some form or the other, because we fear that the black community needs an icon. With Tsotsobe's emergence, some of those fears have vanished. I am enjoying the job of selector, because the South African XI is purely chosen on merit today, the quota system doesn't play a part at all," he told this paper. Skipper Graeme Smith reckons that Tsotsobe carries an oomph factor that makes him a force to reckon with, "He bowled really well against Pakistan on flat surfaces in Abu Dhabi, and that showed a lot of character. "He's carries a certain aura and isu00a0 gaining in confidence. It was terrific to see him do so well. I am excited for his future," Smith told reporters after his side's nail-biting defeat at Wanderers on Saturday.

When Makhaya Ntini announced his retirement from all forms of cricket last year, South Africa's cricket community feared losing majority of its black fans, who were originally drawn into the sport by Ntini

Can Lonwabo Tsotsobe become the next Ntini?

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Can Lonwabo Tsotsobe become the next Ntini?

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