Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has come down hard on the Cricket South Africa (CSA) for prioritizing Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) over international cricket after they named a relatively inexperienced squad for the upcoming white-ball series against Pakistan.
South Africa will be hosting Pakistan in three-match ODI series followed by a four-match T20I series starting with the first ODI on April 2 with the series end on April 16, 2021.
Earlier this month, the CSA has named a full-strength squad for the upcoming ODI series, but international stars like Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, and David Miller were missing from South Africa’s T20I squad for the T20I series against Pakistan at home.
All the top international stars mentioned above will leave for India after the ODI series to join their respective franchises for the upcoming 14th edition of the IPL 2021 starting April 9 in India.
Reacting to the same, Latif has criticized the CSA’s decision to field a weaker side in the T20I series despite both boards PCB and CSA had mutually agreed to play their full-strength sides for both ODI and T20I series while questioning if Pakistan had done the same then would they have still played them?
Latif said on PTV Sports: “Their [CSA] calculation is good because ODI matches will count in the qualification for 2023 World Cup. However, Rabada, Miller, De Kock, Ngidi, and Nortje will be gone for IPL during T20Is. If Pakistan had left out their five main players, would South Africa have still played with us? Then why are we playing with them?”
He signed off by saying, “They should not play a weak team. When both boards decided on this series, they would have decided on playing their full-strength sides. You are fooling the broadcasters by playing weakened sides.”
Here are South Africa’s squads for the white-ball series vs Pakistan:
ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Beuran Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rassie van der Dussen, Junior Dala, Lutho Sipamla, Wiaan Mulder, Sisanda Magala, Kyle Verreynne, Daryn Dupavillon, Lizaad Williams
T20 squad: Temba Bavuma (captain) Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Rassie van der Dussen, Janneman Malan, Sisanda Magala, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Pite van Biljon, Migael Pretorius, Lizaad Williams, Wihan Lubbe
