Whenever he has been asked to deliver for his club and his country, he has never faltered.
Such is resolve of this Zulu warrior, a title often associated with Lance Klusener, another man from his tribe.
He had an unforgettable Test debut when he grabbed a seven-wicket haul in the first innings, against Pakistan. The figure was just short of Klusener’s eight-wicket haul on his Test debut. Ever since then, he has been carrying drinks, giving his bowling advice to the upcoming youngsters and giving his die-hard performances, whenever he is called up by his team.
Often walking behind the towering shadows of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, and Vernon Philander, he has assumed a low-profile dynamic.
He had never hesitated to give his way to youngsters like Kagiso Rabada, who recently swept all six accolades at CSA awards ceremony.
In short, he has been a man for all seasons.
His second Test international came against the Aussies, after spending an entire year on the sidelines, where he even picked three wickets.
He has never disappointed.
In the 2015 World Cup campaign, he picked nine wickets from four games, including an exceptional performance against Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals, to give South Africa their first ever knockout win in World Cup cricket.
However, as unlucky as he has been, he was left out of the semi-final starting XI. He got replaced by Vernon Philander, a replacement choice especially for that game against New Zealand, that would haunt the South African fans forever.
The story, however, does not end there.
He was perhaps the only bright light in South Africa’s opening fixture against England in Mumbai, where England went on to beat all odds, by chasing 230, to rescue their dreams of winning a second T-20 World Cup.
He picked up the wickets of Jason Roy and Alex Hales, an opening combination that smacked Steyn and Rabada to all parts of the ground.
These small moments are not often captured on the sports field.
Even in that South African summer last year, when England pummeled them at home, he paired up with Rabada in the final Test at Centurion to finally give South Africa a win in that format.
Though Rabada grabbed the headlines with his thirteen wickets, it was Abbott who kept up the pressure from the other end.
And finally this summer Down Under.
Du Plessis showed his faith in Abbott over Morkel and he did exactly what his skipper had hoped from him. He ended up getting a well-deserved five-for.
Such a sportsperson he is that he has never missed a call from his team.
He has not only played in those games but ensured his team can totally rely on him.
He might still stay on the sidelines for the rest of his playing career, but he will always be remembered as a die-hard Zulu who never backed down from the challenge.
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