“Since he was able to walk, he used a 2-litre coke bottle as a bat and I had to throw balls”– reminisces Eddie’s father as Ongama Gcwabe tells the story of Eddie Moore.

For some cricketers, things happen quickly. At 18 years old they get franchise contracts on the back of some impressive performances at the U19 level.

Guys like Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers made their international debuts at 19 or 20 and they lived up to expectations.

But some guys, like Eddie, have to grind hard to get recognized and for them to achieve big things. 

“Eddie always had the inner drive to become a successful cricketer,” said Edward Moore Snr. exclusively to Cricket Fanatics Magazine.

“His mother Lynette and I supported him in every possible way, but not once did we have to put pressure on him to live his dream.”

These are the guys I’m most interested to follow and find out how they do things. These are the guys that I have a lot of respect for because I can sort of imagine how hard they have to work to get to the top.

“From a young age, I have been a huge sports enthusiast,” said Eddie Jnr.

“I’ve always watched and played sport with a lot of passion, and the players with the biggest courage and heart caught my eye first”.

His father told me a story that helped me understand how much of a sports enthusiast Eddie is even from a young age,

“Since he was able to walk, he used a 2-litre coke bottle as a bat and I had to throw balls,” said Edward Moore Snr.

Eddie came up the ranks from University playing for Madibaz (Nelson Mandela University) to the EP academy and senior provincial sides before going on to make his debut for the Warriors in the then coined Ram slam T20 competition.

“I like the fact that I’ve had to earn my stripes and perform at every level before I was given opportunities at higher levels,” he said.

“I have learnt important lessons at each level that made me understand my game and also gave me confidence when I was given an opportunity at a higher level.

“Even though the skill level at franchise level is a little bit higher, I didn’t find the transition to be too big. I felt ready as I wasn’t only selected on potential, but the weight of runs and consistent performances.”

His upbringing was mainly based on “Honesty, integrity and on the phrase – ‘never blame people or circumstances if things don’t go your way'”, as his farther emphasized.

Although it took him three years to be a regular feature in the Warriors side, he understood that he had to find ways to become a better person and a better cricketer.

I find it bizarre that in this day and age – even though teams understand that cricket is significantly more mental than physical – the preparation of professional teams seems to be more physical and tactical, with less time spent on the mental side of the game.

Successful athletes, especially in individual sports, hire performance coaches to help them get through the mental side of things and Eddie is one of those athletes.

“I have worked really hard on developing my mental side of the game. For a substantial period of time, I was fortunate enough to work with probably the best cricket psychologist in the world, Adrian McInman,” revealed Eddie.

“I guess my last two seasons performances is a combination of really maturing and understanding my own game and pushing my mental boundaries. A lot of credit has to go to Adrian”.

In first-class cricket, Eddie has 6,283 runs at an average of 41.60, with 13 centuries and a highest score of 228 runs. 

1,626 of those runs came in just two seasons (18 matches) and he achieved those runs at an average of 49.27.

Eddie is one to consider for the opening spot in the Proteas Test side. His numbers are right up there with the best in the country and he still has a long career ahead of him.

“I want to make sure that, if I am ever fortunate enough to be selected for the Proteas, that I am ready to make an impact in the team,” he explained.

“Being selected to represent your country would be any sportsman’s goal, but performing at the highest level and cementing a spot would be a dream come true.”

But it is not just in the longest format that the 27-year-old has excelled in. More than anything, I was surprised with Eddie’s performances in this year’s Momentum One Day Cup.

I was at St Georges Park when he registered his first MODC ton against the Titans.

“I believe the skill to play all three formats has always been there, perhaps a small adjustment was needed in my game, but due to lack of opportunity I was not able to prove my worth,” said Eddie.

“I am grateful for the opportunity that Robin Peterson has given me”.

A major trait which defines athletes is the “always stay humble” mentality, which Edward Moore Snr. passed on to his son.

It proves that Champion-minded athletes are not born champions, they can be groomed this way.