(Source My khel)
Former Proteas cricketer AB de Villiers voiced his disappointment over the racial quota controversy surrounding South Africa’s squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. De Villiers remarked that such controversies hinder the team’s preparation for a significant tournament like the World Cup.
The Cricket South Africa (CSA) selection committee chose only one Black African player, Kagiso Rabada, for the 15-member T20 World Cup 2024 squad. However, the squad also includes players of color such as Reeza Hendricks, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Ottniel Baartman.
According to CSA guidelines, each playing XI should feature six players of color, with at least two being Black Africans. Lungi Ngidi, another Black African player, is part of the traveling reserves. South Africa is set to start their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka in New York on Monday, June 10.
It’s A Shame Going Into A Tournament – AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers addressed the racial quota debate within the South African cricket team ahead of the World Cup. De Villiers mentioned that he is no longer involved in the current affairs and is now merely an observer.
“It’s a shame going into a tournament to have the focus on that. I mean it’s nothing new, it’s just a shame, luckily this time around, I’ve had nothing to do with anything over there. I’m just a spectator. There are controversial moments back home as per usual with the South African squad just before a World Cup,” AB de Villiers said in an interaction with PTI facilitated by ‘Jio Cinema’.
Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini made history in 1998 as the first black African player to join South Africa’s men’s cricket team. In 2023, middle-order batter Temba Bavuma became the first black African to captain South Africa’s Test cricket team.
AB de Villiers says There Are Controversial Moments Back Home.
AB de Villiers commented that Lungi Ngidi was left out of the World Cup squad because of his recent loss of form and injuries. He observed that controversies frequently emerge right before major tournaments. De Villiers emphasized the need to consider the team’s overall performance throughout the season rather than concentrating on individual players.
“There are controversial moments back home as per usual with the South African squad just before a World Cup. I think it’s a good team. It’s a shame about Lungi… (he) lost a bit of form, had a couple of injuries. Otherwise, he most probably would have been in the squad and there wouldn’t have been any controversial stuff back home,” de Villiers added.
“Sometimes these things happen and it puts you under a bit of pressure as a selection panel and as a coach and a captain. From what I remember is with the quota system, it’s an average team, an average number over the season and they don’t really look at every series, but as journalists sometimes enjoy steaming up things a bit.”
Temba Bavuma captained the South African cricket team in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Unfortunately, the team faced a surprising defeat against the Netherlands, resulting in their elimination from the tournament. The right-handed batsman managed to score only 70 runs across five matches, averaging 17.50 with a strike rate of 112.90.
