Imraan Manack shares his journey which has seen him overcome challenges to reach the top of his game.

The 33-year-old was one of the key players for the Goldrush Boland team during their CSA 1-Day Cup 24/25 campaign with his outstanding work with the ball. He averaged just 14.73 from the 7 innings, taking 16 wickets, the joint highest of the tournament alongside Kyle Simmonds.

Cricket Fanatics Magazine sat down exclusively with Manack to gain insight into what life at Boland has been like for him as well as the struggles and challenges he has faced in recent seasons.

“I think my time at Boland’s been quite cool. It’s been an indifferent time. I think there have been times when it’s been really good when I’ve got a lot of game time and times when I haven’t got a lot of game time,” he explained.

“I think what’s been really cool is over time there’s been a growth of the team and I think this season we can say that most of the guys enjoy chilling with one another and we’ve got a good vibe in the team.”

The 2024/25 season has been a really good one for Manack with him being in form and regularly taking wickets. His efforts helped steer Boland to the 1-Day Cup Final.

However last season, he didn’t see much of the field with him mainly watching on from the sidelines.

When asked about his lack of game time last season and the struggles that came with it he said:

“I kind of came in every day, willing to work hard. Sometimes things just don’t go your way and obviously, it’s not the right time for you. But what I did was I made sure that when I went home, I would go in, bowl a bit more and just try and train a little bit harder because maybe I felt that’s all I needed at the time.”

Manack also spoke about the people who helped him during this difficult time as well as how playing abroad improved his spin.

“I think my dad always has been quite an important person for me because we chat quite often. He loves the game, he watches every game I play. So he kind of has the best view for me. I know that the place he’ll be advising from is quite a good place.

“There’s a little bit of stuff that I’ve worked on in the off-season. I went over to the UK, which was good for me. I played a couple of time games and I played in quite a decent league and I think that has helped me work on maybe turning the ball a little bit more.”

Lastly, when asked about goals he would personally like to achieve in the near future he said:

“I just want to be the best person [I can be] and if I can be the first name on the team sheet as much as possible, that would be my goal going forward.

[I want to be in a position] where I’m giving the captain the option to say, ‘This is the guy I want first in the team.’ That would be quite a big thing for me.”

Manack’s journey with Boland has been one of resilience, hard work, and continuous growth. From the struggles of limited game time last season to becoming one of the standout performers in the CSA 1-Day Cup, his determination has paid off.

His success this season is a reflection of his dedication, both on and off the field, as well as the support system around him. With his confidence high and his ambitions clear, Manack is set on cementing his place as a key player in the Goldrush Boland team.