Ntini represented South Africa in 101 Tests, 173 ODIs and 10 T20Is from 1998 to 2011.
“I was forever lonely at the time. Nobody knocked on my door to go for dinner. Teammates used to make plans right in front of me, skipping me out. When walking into the breakfast room, nobody came to sit with me,” Ntini, who represented South Africa in 101 Tests, 173 ODIs and 10 T20Is from 1998 to 2011, said in an interview with ''South African Broadcasting Corporation''.
“We wear the same uniform and sing the same national anthem, but I had to overcome (the isolation),” he added.
Racism has become a topic of global debate following the killing of George Floyd – a 46-year-old African-American, who died on May 25 in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin, a white policeman, knelt on his neck for several minutes.
Floyd’s death sparked protests across the United States while demonstrations were held in various countries in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Recalling his experience, Ntini further said he used to avoid travelling in the team bus and preferred running to the stadium to deal with the isolation.
"I used to see the driver of the team bus, give him my bag, and then I would run to the cricket ground. I did the same thing on the way back, I just ran back instead," he said.
"People never understood why I did that, I never told them what I was trying to avoid. It became my best thing, I didn't have to face any of it.
"I was running away from the loneliness. If I was sitting at the back of the bus, they would go and sit at the front. Whenever we won, it was joyful but I was the first to be blamed whenever we lost."
Ntini claimed that his son Thando too has faced racism.
"My son Thando has also experienced this, he was almost stopped from going on an U19 camp (on false pretenses)," he said.
Earlier this week, as many as 30 former South African cricketers including Makhaya Ntini stood in solidarity of the Black Lives Matter campaign and also acknowledged that racism remains part of the game in the country.
In a statement, the former players also threw their weight behind current South Africa speedster Lungi Ngidi, who was recently attacked by ex-Proteas cricketers like Pat Symcox and Boeta Dippenaar for asking the national team to take a stand in support of the BLM movement.
Star batsman Faf du Plessis on Friday too extended his support, saying "All lives don't matter until black lives matter."
South African Cricketers' Association and Cricket South Africa have also come out with statements in favour of the Black Lives Matter movement.
(With PTI inputs)