Ashwell Prince leads South Africa as it's first black captain in the Test series against Sri Lanka here from Thursday knowing he may have inspired a new generation of players back home.
"For someone who dared not dream of playing international cricket as a youngster, it's a big honour," Prince told AFP in an interview ahead of the first Test at the Sinhalese sports club. Prince, 29, was appointed skipper for the two-Test series after regular captain Graeme Smith twisted an ankle prior to the tour and vice-captain Jacques Kallis was ruled out with a tennis elbow injury.
"When I was growing up I never thought I would play a Test match because apartheid South Africa was banned at that time and there was no first-class cricket in the country," said Prince.
"But I was about 15 when we were admitted back to world cricket in 1991 and I clearly remember South Africa's first match against India in Calcutta (a one-day international in what is now Kolkata).
"That's when the desire to play cricket grew stronger and I was very determined because there were many obstacles in the way. I had to prove myself to make it big." Prince was included in South Africa's team for a Test match against Australia in Johannesburg in February 2002 on the back of the government's controversial quota system that made it compulsory to draft black players. But the gutsy left-handed batsman proved himself with a 49 on debut and hit a match-winning 48 in the Durban Test of the same series to ensure he was not ignored later.
"In the beginning, you never knew whether you were there in the side because of the quota system or you were really good enough to play," said Prince, who has now played 21 Tests.
"But when I grew older and became mature, I realised I did not have to prove anything to anyone. "Guys like (Makhaya) Ntini, Herschelle (Gibbs), me and many others have laid the foundation for the next generation of black players. They won't have to go through what we went through." The dramatic changes in South Africa have lessened the pressure on Prince being the country's first black captain.
"I know I am part of history but frankly that makes no difference to me," he said. "It's an honour, but anyone would have felt the same way if they had been asked to captain the country. "The captain was not available, the vice-captain was also not there, so they thought I was the next best man for the job.
"It does not make me a different person. I still have to go out there and bat and field well. The only change is the toss, making bowling changes and things like that."
With Smith and Kallis out and veteran all-rounder Shaun Pollock missing the first Test following the birth of his second child, the South Africans face an uphill task to beat the hosts in the upcoming series. Prince, however, said the tag of underdogs suited his team fine.
"We know we are without three of our best players but we have to get on with the game," he said. "People have begun to write us off even before the series has started. That is actually not a bad thing because it has charged the players up a bit.
"South Africa is a very proud sporting nation. We don't give up so easily." The two Test matches will be followed by a limited-overs tri-series also featuring India from August 14-29.