Proteas batsman Khaya Zondo believes his non-selection for the Proteas’ tour of India in 2015 changed the course of his career, reports sacricketmag.com.
When JP Duminy was ruled out of the final match of the ODI series due to injury, Dean Elgar – who had been named in the Test squad – was flown in early to play in the ODI, with Zondo, part of the original ODI squad, missing out.
In testimony given to the Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings, tour selector Hussein Manack said he was pressured into selecting Elgar over Zondo by AB de Villiers, the Proteas ODI captain.
“India is a lucrative tour and if you perform there you can showcase your skills and you have the opportunity to be viewed and seen by the Indian public and IPL [Indian Premier League]team owners. There’s a lot to gain from it,” Zondo testified.
“There was also the opportunity to create history for South Africa’s Proteas. So, do I think there was race involved? I definitely think there was a racial element involved in the matter.”
However, De Villiers denied race had anything to do with Elgar’s elevation to the team.
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