CSA hopeful Ntozakhe will be part of Proteas World T20 squad to the Caribbean

CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA remain hopeful that young off-spinner Raisibe Ntozakhe will be part of the South African women’s squad at the World T20 tournament next month, even if that means she leaves a little bit later than her teammates.

Ntozakhe, 21, was suspended by the sport’s governing body, the ICC on Tuesday, just hours after she was included in the 15-player squad for the event which will be held in the West Indies, because her bowling action was deemed illegal. Ntozakhe, an off-spinner, is undergoing remedial work at CSA’s Centre of Excellence under the watchful eye of high-performance manager, Vincent Barnes. CSA are hoping to have Ntozakhe tested again before the end of the month, and if that is a success she can join her teammates in the Caribbean.

Ntozakhe’s action was reported after the first one-day international between SA and the West Indies on September 16 and she then underwent an independent assessment of her action at the University of Pretoria 12 days later. “The assessment revealed that all of her deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations,” the ICC said in a statement on Tuesday.

By yesterday CSA eventually responded to the suspension with the federation’s chief executive, Thabang Moroe saying the timing was “inopportune.” Had CSA withdrawn Ntozakhe on Tuesday, and her tests later this month cleared her action, she would not have been allowed back into the squad, hence the decision to include her despite the ICC’s suspension. Ntozakhe was present at a squad photo-shoot yesterday, which will form part of a promotional campaign ahead of the tournament.

While CSA said the selection panel would discuss a possible replacement, it is understood that the first prize for CSA and the selectors would be to have Ntozakhe reassessed and her action cleared.