Image: George Linde missed the team bus before the first T20I against Pakistan / © BBC
With a win in the first T20 match against Pakistan on December 10, 2024, George Linde made a stunning comeback to the South African team after a gap of over three years. Linde, who had been away from the team for 3 years, 3 months, and 2 days, played a key role in the match, scoring 48 runs off 24 balls and helping South Africa reach 183/9.
He also formed a vital 42-run partnership with Kwena Maphaka. However, his return was marred by a late arrival, as he missed the team bus due to his phone being 15 minutes behind. Fortunately, a police escort vehicle came to his rescue, ensuring he made it to the venue. Regarding this, he said:
For some reason, my phone was 15 minutes behind time. I had thought to myself, “OK, at four o’clock I’m going to walk down and I’m going to get into the bus nice and early”. And then as I came out of the team hotel I saw the bus leaving, and that feeling was not great. Luckily there were police escorts and they took me to the bus. Actually, no one realized I wasn’t on the bus, which was actually quite cool. It was embarrassing, but I reckon for the next game I might just be late again!
Linde also excelled with the ball, taking 4 wickets for just 21 runs in 4 overs, with an economy rate of 5.20. His all-round performance was pivotal in South Africa’s 11-run victory over Pakistan.