Despite his own dreams of playing cricket at a professional level being cruelly cut off, Mzuvukile Matomela has found a way to contribute to the growth and future of the game.

The 38-year-old Tuks Academy coach, the last in a family of of six, pours all his passion into the youngsters he mentors, after spending years working at an office job to look after his parents.

This was in addition of having his contract with an Eastern Cape team being unceremoniously cancelled, and then having to leave school due to financial constraints.

"I grew up in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, and was really good throughout my teen years. I was spotted while playing in the Khaya Majola Week tournament and was brought into the Border academy set-up. I was on my way, had even signed a contract, but life happened and I had to quit school and go and work," Matomela said. "At that point, I was in my third year of studying Sports Management. I moved back home and took on the responsibility of looking after my parents, but something was missing from my life," Matomela said.

The route back to the passionate bowler's love affair with the gentleman's sport, and to nurturing youngsters at the grounds of the University of Pretoria, came through his niece, when he one day went to watch her play. "When I arrived at the field, I saw a mom throwing a ball to her son. I decided to step in. I told her politely that she can go and sit. Her son and I got talking. He explained to me that he had problems playing a specific shot. I gave him some advice as to how he can improve his technique. To make a long story short, he went on to notch up 40 odd runs, coming close to his best score. "The next week I went to watch my niece play. Some parents recognised me. I was asked to help a few kids. That is how I got started as a coach. It is sort of ironic. I always said the last thing I will ever do is to coach. Now I love it," Matomela said.

He makes sure he speaks about those who guided his game behind the scenes, and says when he handles youngsters, he is not only concerned about passing on the technical know-how. "Before I start to coach any player, I will sit down and talk to them about the game, their goals and what needs to be done to make it a reality. It is a way to win their confidence. When it comes to coaching, I prefer fine-tuning a player's talents rather than trying to do a 'total makeover'. In short, it boils down to each player being his own 'man' on the field. There is no one blueprint to success."

Of the lessons that the game taught him, he says it is about being flexible and thinking on your feet regardless of circumstances. "We did not always get to play on the best of pitches. It forced me to think about the game and being able to adapt to any conditions. It is something I try and teach when coaching. It is not just about how much I know, it is about how I much care".