Former South Africa Under-19 captain Chad Bowes debuted for New Zealand in international cricket on Saturday.
Bowes scored 14 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka at Eden Park in Auckland.
“Probably not that script that I thought I was going to write for my career, but it has been a hell of a journey from South Africa to New Zealand,” Bowes told ESPNcricinfo.
“Obviously, the big decision to move countries and create a new life from scratch is the foundation of my last six to seven years of my career. So, a lot of learning has taken place – not just on the field, but in life in general.”
Bowes captained South Africa at the 2012 Under-19 World Cup and played first-class cricket for KwaZulu-Natal before relocating to New Zealand.
“It has been an incredible journey – obviously one that was unexpected, but incredibly valuable in terms of me learning about myself and about the world and just about what it takes to actually thrive and not just survive in different kinds of environments,” he added.
“So, it has been a learning curve that will carry on going. The dream of playing international cricket has been in my blood for 20 years and it still remains in my blood. The only difference is that the badge has changed.”