CSA SELECTOR HITS BACK AT BAARTMAN

CRICKET South Africa’s convenor of selectors Patrick Moroney says Ottneil Baartman praat twak, he did speak to him after omitting him from next month’s T20 World Cup squad.

The omission of Baartman, 32, was a surprise to many – none more so than former Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn who has been quite vocal on social media about the seamer missing out on selection.

And during the recently-concluded SA20, Baartman, who played for Paarl Royals, wysed reporters that he had received no communication before or after the World Cup squad was announced.

But Moroney says that’s not true, wysing SportsBoom: “Ottneil, I have spoken to him. I mean, I did phone him. I did speak to him.

“So, how and why he said that to the media, you maybe need to find out from him, not from me. But that he was spoken to is definitely a fact.

“Unfortunately, in the make-up of a side, there’s no space for [Lungi] Ngidi and Baartman. They bowl more or less the same kind of pace and have the same variations.

“So, you had to pick a player, and Ottneil was made very aware in the conversation that we had on the 1st of January that he’s part of the backup list and that he will be monitored. If the need arises, then we will push on his button if need be.

“So, it’s very, very clear. I don’t know why we still have to rehash this continuously. This has been cleared up... ”