Farhaan Behardien will always be remembered as a legend in South African cricket especially for the quality he brought to the domestic game, writes Nasri Alexander.
“The game is never over until Farhaan Behardien is out” – That was often a phrase used by commentators and pundits alike when the man known as ‘Fudgie’ was still out in the middle with bat-in-hand.
Behardien has bid farewell to the Titans franchise and the Centurion faithful after he took up the option to sign a deal with English County side Durham.
It has been 14 glorious years for Behardien in Tshwane where he has helped the Titans stay the powerhouse cricket franchise in the country.
When the now 36-year-old made the trek up North from Cape Town in 2006 he certainly made the ‘Blue Bulls country’ his home.
Often the word ‘legend’ is thrown around loosely when speaking about players, but Behardien is certainly a Titans LEGEND!
While he never scaled the same heights at international level, his numbers for the Proteas suggest he was a solid performer.
In 59 ODIs he averaged more than 30 with the bat at a healthy strike-rate of almost 98 while in 38 T20 Internationals he averages a touch over 32 at a strike-rate of 128.
It was though in domestic cricket where he developed into one of the finest performers this country has ever seen and the respect that he commands from his teammates and opposition players is immense.
Behardien will undoubtedly be remembered by Titans fans for his exploits in white-ball cricket, and rightly so, as he performed in all sorts of different scenarios – whether the team was 50-4 or 250/4.
However, his contribution in first-class cricket should not be underestimated, as again with his own unusual batting technique he showed that he is a gritty, nuggety player.
In the ‘whites’ he averages more than 41 with the willow and nine of his 11 career centuries came representing Titans.
He will now make another journey, from Centurion to Chester-le-Street in the North East of England, and no doubt the members at Durham county cricket club will enjoy the fruits of a solid professional.
The grass banks of SuperSport Park, and indeed all other South African venues, will miss the valued contributions of Behardien but we applaud and say Thank You to what has been a great career.
Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
