02 September,2016 12:40 PM IST | | Clayton Murzello
South African golden great Graeme Pollock's heart goes out to AB de Villiers after current star reveals his team was changed due to non-cricketing reasons for World Cup 2015 semi-final
AB de Villiers is undoubtedly the finest limited overs cricketer South Africa has produced. In Test cricket, that honour goes to Graeme Pollock.
Graeme Pollock
Yesterday, de Villiers revealed that the South African XI he led during the semi-final against New Zealand in the last World Cup in 2015, may not have been the best possible line-up for a crucial, knockout fixture and that a player (Vernon Philander) could have been included due to non-cricketing reasons.
Johannesburg-based Pollock told mid-day that such things were happening for nearly two decades. However, this time, the quota system was being admitted. "This is nothing new, but it's becoming desperate and they are saying that the quota system is being applied and we will apply it. You can expect four players - or whatever the number is - in the team," Pollock (72) said.
SA's AB de Villiers after losing the 2015 World Cup semi-final to NZ at Auckland. Pic/Getty Images
ESPN Cricinfo reported that, "the revelation that racial dynamics played a role in Vernon Philander being selected ahead of Kyle Abbott came in the aftermath of the tournament and was confirmed by CSA, who said transformation targets were part of pre-match discussions, but this is the first time any of the players involved in the match has spoken out."
Pollock revealed that similar incidents took place when he was a selector in 2002. "We (selectors) picked sides and they had to be cleared by the South Africa board president. The convenor of selectors had to call the president and read out the side and ask whether he was happy with it. Inevitably, the team used to be changed," recalled Pollock.
His heart went out to de Villiers, who couldn't lead South Africa to their first World Cup triumph since his team lost to tournament co-hosts New Zealand. Pollock added: "You've got to realise that you have to play your best 11 players to be successful. You cannot carry one or two people to keep the government and politicians happy."
