The South Africans need a warrior,
One who now, more than ever, can break any kind of barrier
Amid this wave of transformation, they need someone who can navigate the ship, especially amid turbulent waters,
And to that, one reckons, there can be only one,
Someone who can score, and provide a healing touch to wounds that have tuned sour
At a time where to save a vital DNA of Cricket, the board would wanted to have had a pact,
With the countless-to-the few who went Kolpak way
Leaving behind all the opportunities to may hay
But must we not forget,
One man stayed back to behold the southern-most part of Africa,
To its naysayers- it’s a nation engulfed in petty politics- amid some decay,
But for those who recite endlessly, deep into the night, a prayer reads- Proteas Fire,
The nation is better known as South Africa
Steering no longer as the captain, is this man who at 36 measures 199 on 200 in commitment
To hold an end calmly whilst many head back to the seating area is a brief salutation to his temperament
For he’s someone who, in the last 18 months, has seen a lot
Might’ve been torn inside, felt let down, yeah something like that would’ve been his thoughts
The runs, the power, the muscles and that composure
One can see are are still around
And each time the ball goes to the gap, is hit over the fence, or is even shown the dead face of the bat,
With a minor twitch of the muscle,
Faf du Plessis rises to the fore and does the hustle
For to him steering South Africa out of crisis, like the great Dean of the Protean University of batting does,
Is the meaning of every mission accomplished, not left undone
And in doing so, he often slows, even trips, suffers pain, but goes uncomplainingly about his job
That, you mustn’t forget, isn’t to offer an angry grunt or prove anyone wrong
Let’s rewind the clocks back to 2012, where it all started, before the legend- or should one say of the unsung- Faf du Plessis was born
The occasion was big, the opponent even bigger, the destination- the lion’s den, one could say,
Heck, Australia even back then, were too strong,
Not that the team facing the Kangaroos were clueless mice
How could it ever have been when there was a Amla, de Villiers, Kallis and even more,
Though, in the end, it all came down to one man who hung in there when the others just didn’t how to anymore,
And with great determination did Faf du Plessis conjure
Those unbeaten 110 runs, compiling a century (a maiden one)
But over and above match- a match-saving ton
Frankly, what he did almost a decade back, is pretty much what
Faf du Plessis does even now
Playing the bodyguard with fab muscles, being the wearer of a proud jersey amid fans and critics who aren’t holier than a cow
Remember his task isn’t easy
For who bowed out back in the day, many moons ago, were giants like Kallis
And then, came those who walked into the sunsets like Amla, Morkel, Steyn, Philander,
Guess that would have hurt bad enough to make fans consume the poison chalice
Precisely that is where one man has been through it all, seen things, witnessed transitions first-hand
But seldom has he refused being an example- if not the greatest always- but remains one who is determined to keep up the fight
For that is way of the fighter, someone whose personal milestones have even coincided with his team’s wins
That recently the Sri Lankans suffered big was evident,
But Faf du Plessis lasting for 276 deliveries was akin to a firefighter holding a wiggly monument
Remember how shaky South Africa were at 200 for 4, only to find stability not too long after….
Faf arrived to the crease
It was almost offering calmness of a monk unbent to lose poise
Probably it didn’t occur to many, that in the process of missing out on a maiden double ton, he went past 4,000 Test runs
But never did once over-celebrate; well that’s how Faf du Plessis is, his choice
Not that those who notice Faf’s contribution, just as much, if not more than the great Elgar weren’t
Even to the harshest critic who still opts to remember du Plessis chewing gum versus Australia
Would have, in front of the magnanimity of the effort of the 199, stayed numb
To scathing criticism that often rests with Faf du Plessis
Whose more than the length of his biceps, the repetitions of the hammer curls in the gym, and is sheer ecstasy
To those who seek in his batsmanship- the inspiration one so easily felt in the days of the yore

They might be in Africa, might not be every fan’s team of birth, but South Africa is everyone’s- not mine or yours
Truth be told, Faf du Plessis was the man who hammered NZ in 2015 WC semis, before his team got hammered in return,
Though on his part, he constructed a handy fifty,
Quite like that blazing 185 against the Lankans
He always wears the dashing green with pride,
One never expressed in loud terms
And never eschews the desire to go an extra mile
To uphold South Africa’s chances,
The way he did back then in the 2019 World Cup heartbreak
Where he was the only one, to raise the only century for a team where none managed one
Probably that is why this stylish stud of South African cricket will remain the only one; a man-lion who batted then and is still batting with a sense of purpose
At a time where it takes a few seconds for people to succumb to the divide,
That is why the hope is to see this eternal battler from Madiba-land to walk many a mile!
Forza Faf du Plessis!
Keep batting, sir.