Rossouw has no intentions of playing for Proteas again ... for now
JUST over two years since finishing with the Player-of-the-Series award after South Africa had whitewashed Australia, Rilee Rossouw, said he has no intention – at this stage – of donning the Proteas cap again.
Rossouw is back in SA for a very brief stint in the Mzansi Super League and will play the first two matches for the Tshwane Spartans, including the tournament opener against the Cape Town Blitz tomorrow at Newlands. Thereafter, he’ll resume his vacation.
Rossouw along with Kyle Abbott caused major ructions in SA cricket two seasons ago when they agreed to take up a three-year Kolpak contract with English county Hampshire. “Obviously I do miss playing for the national team, but that’s the decision I made and I’m going to stick with it. I’m very happy and comfortable with where I am right now,” Rossouw said in Centurion yesterday ahead of a training session with the Spartans.
Still just 29, Rossouw was widely touted as the man fit to replace AB de Villiers, and with the national team currently struggling to fill that hole, many have again looked longingly in Rossouw’s direction. “(I have) no regrets, it was a decision that wasn’t made overnight, there’s a lot of who’s and what’s I could talk about but it’s not the right time now, my main focus is on the MSL,” Rossouw said.
Rossouw is entering the final year of his Kolpak contract and with a handful of veteran Proteas batsmen expected to retire from the international game in the next 12 to 18 months, might he be tempted back? “I’ve not thought about what to do after Kolpak, I’ve still got a year left and as I stand here right now, I probably just want to keep on extending. I’ve thought many a time (about coming back to SA and playing for the Proteas) but I’m sticking to my decision for now,” Rossouw said.
Seeing him and De Villiers in the same team this weekend will probably leave many South Africans muttering “what could have been,” and Rossouw, who played 36 ODIs – including six at the 2015 World Cup – and 15 T20 internationals is looking to make an impression in his short stint.
“A week ago I was still on holiday and the moment they phoned me up I said I was very, very happy to come and take part in the MSL. I’m only here for the first two games, but I’m very excited, it’s only a short time, but if I can make a big impact in that time, that is something I would strive to do for the Spartans,” Rossouw said.
Rossouw has played in T20 competitions in England, India and Bangladesh and believes the Mzansi Super League has the ingredients to become a successful addition to the T20 calendar. “I’m optimistic. I hope it expands and becomes one of the top-tier T20 competitions. It will be great for South African players to face other internationals and get their exposure and experience in this tournament. I hope this is a very successful tournament and good things will come,” he said.
The Spartans will open their campaign with three away matches; a double-header in the Western Cape against the Blitz tomorrow and then the Paarl Rocks on Sunday, before a journey up the coast to face one of their own in Albie Morkel, who will captain the Durban Heat against them next Wednesday at Kingsmead.