‘All you have to do is be your freest self on the field’: In conversation with Keshav Maharaj

Abstract

In May 2022, David Dabydeen and Ben Jacob interviewed South African cricketer Keshav Maharaj. Maharaj – South Africa’s most successful spin-bowler since the nation’s readmission to international sport in 1991 – is the first descendant of an indentured worker, and only the third Indian South African, to play for South Africa’s cricket team. In the conversation, Mahraj reflects on the legacies of indentureship, being part of South Africa’s post-apartheid generation, his journey to the top of cricket, and his achievements on the international stage.