Ottniel Baartman, pictured here playing for the Dolphins, as been a consistent domestic performer. (Richard Huggard/Gallo Images)
South Africa’s domestic cricket system, which is questioned at every corner when the national men’s team doesn’t perform, has the capacity to produce left-field players who take different paths to the top.
This could be said of the new entries into Rob Walter’s touring group for the T20 World Cup and the West Indies tour in Ottniel Baartman and Nqabayomzi Peter.
In light of Temba Bavuma’s expected omission from the T20 World Cup squad, along with the furore around the lack of black African representation in the 15-man group, the excellence of the domestic competitors who did the hard selection yards fell through the gap.
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