‘It’s surprising…’ – Mark Boucher on SA20 performers Rickelton and Baartman missing out on T20 World Cup

SA20 speakers ignored

Despite exceptional performance, even before the launch of the SA20, both were overlooked. Rickelton was beaten by Quinton de Kock and Tony de Zorzi, while Baartman missed his chance because of Kwena Maphaka. Even Tristan Stubbs couldn’t find a place, with the relatively unknown Jason Smith finding a place in his place. Everyone, including Boucher, was surprised by these omissions.

“He’s the talk of the town at the moment in South Africa. It’s surprising that they left Rickelton out. I haven’t spoken to the coach. He’s probably the best guy to ask. Baartman has always been someone that I’ve felt is a bit tough because he’s always done very well for South Africa. He took some nice wickets yesterday. Even a guy like Stubbsy (Stubbs), I know he’s may have been missing lately. But he may also have been batting out of position. Boucher said while responding Inside Sports question in a SA20 virtual interaction.

The challenges of selection

The legendary wicketkeeper realizes that choosing a team is not easy. You cannot select more than 15 players. As per Cricket South Africa policy, at least six non-white players must be in the team, at least two of whom are black African, which can further add to the challenge.

“Every coach would like to take 20 people to the World Cup. But you can’t. You have to look at the whole set-up and how many batters you have. How many bowlers do you have? We also have different dynamics in our country that we also have to take care of. So there is nothing to hide behind that. And you can only take 15. So there will always be players who will miss out.” he added.

Questions about Rickelton’s omission

Rickelton’s snub appears to be the biggest problem for Boucher. While we can still accept de Kock getting the nod, de Zorzi’s selection makes no sense. He is currently out due to injury, which makes things even more complex. Reports suggest that if de Zorzi cannot play, it will be Reeza Hendricks who will replace him. Make of that what you will, but Boucher has a few questions.

“I think the big question now, and why it comes up, is because we have a striker who is injured (Tony de Zorzi) and he hasn’t played. So how long will it take him to recover from his injury? Is he going to go to a World Cup again with a little problem? Has he had enough time to get back in shape? And I think that’s why the questions are being asked. Especially about Ryan Rickelton, who is in good shape, is performing very well and looks incredibly hungry.