It was unacceptable, we didn’t get a choice: Rabada
The pace spearhead says the New Zealand tour fiasco was a planning issue as the firstchoice players were involved in the SA20 league
Still bitter about the scheduling fiasco that forced him and the other senior players to miss a twoTest series against New Zealand earlier this year, South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada said they were not given a say in the “unacceptable” botchup.
As many as seven uncapped players were named for the series which was a part of the World Test Championship, even as firstchoice players were involved in the SA20 league at home.
Neil Brand, who captained the team in New Zealand, made his Test debut during the opening game in Mount Maunganui and the hosts expectedly won the series 20.
Looking back at that controversial episode, Rabada hoped players will not have to go through such unsavoury moments again.
“It was very very unacceptable and remains unacceptable to date. It was obviously a planning issue. It is unacceptable that is all I would say about that,” Rabada, one of the leading fast bowlers in the game, said,
Rabada, who is currently playing for Punjab Kings in the IPL, also offered strong support to the uncapped South Africa players who were put in that awkward situation for no fault of their own.
“If I can go back on that point it is not fair to go at the players. It is not fair to say that players are being picked and they got free Test caps.
“I don’t think it is fair to put that criticism on the players. They simply got asked to go there, and at the end of the day they are not going to say no.
“That is a planning issue and it has got to do with what is happening at the higher level; what happened with Cricket South Africa. It was basically a double book, that was what it was.
“End of the day, we didn’t really get a choice to even go there (New Zealand) because of the importance of the SA20.
“It is like shooting yourself in the foot,” said the 28yearold who considers Test cricket as the number one format of the game.