‘CSA board demanded Philander play in semi’ - insider

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Melbourne

CRICKET SA’s board (CSA) hung Vernon Philander out to dry by demanding his selection for the World Cup semi-final in a move that made captain AB de Villiers reluctant to play in the match, sources close to the SA team say.

If the claims are true, a star bowler who has taken 121 wickets in just 29 tests has been cynically undermined. Philander has earned every nugget of his success, but being thrust from the cold of an injury lay-off into the team to play the most important match in SA’s one-day history makes him look like a player who has benefitted from being black.

The other side of the equation is that the in-form Kyle Abbott was denied the opportunity he deserved - which probably cost SA a place in Sunday’s final.

Philander hurt a hamstring after bowling four overs against India in Melbourne on February 22. His only other match of the group stage was against the United Arab Emirates on March 12. In both games, he did not find the seam movement that makes him lethal.

But, having bowled just 12.3 overs for the middling return of 2/53 in the World Cup, Philander was included in the XI for the semi-final against New Zealand in Auckland on Tuesday.

That would have been understandable if SA had no other option. However, they had Abbott - their best bowler in the tournament in terms of average, economy rate and strike rate.

Asked if Philander had been selected on transformation grounds and, if so, how and why the decision was made, CSA president Chris Nenzani said: “Team management could perhaps be in a better position to respond to your query. However let me state that I have not in the past interfered with the selection of the team and I do not intend to do so in the future. We have always emphasised that national team selection must be on merit.”

Brendon McCullum hammered 14 runs off Philander’s first over on Tuesday, forcing him out of the attack. Philander conceded a respectable 38 runs off his other seven overs and in fact was SA’s most economical seam bowler in the match, but only De Villiers’ careful captaincy spared him a mauling.

Once he had bowled his eight overs, Philander left the field - either because SA wanted to put a more attacking fielder into the mix or because he was still injured.

“AB didn’t want to play in the semi because of this; it is a clear case of interference by the board - they ordered Philander’s selection,” a well-placed source who declined to be named because “people will lose their jobs if this gets out” told Sunday Times.

“It was a purely political decision. The players are fuming about it, but they won’t say so.”

Another source confirmed that they had “heard the rumours”, adding, “If they are just rumours then they are very unfair. If it’s true then (this will have a) detrimental effect on Vernon and the team. It’s very unfortunate either way.”

The Philander fandango came in the same week that the SA Cricketers’ Association (SACA) said they are “considering our legal options” after, SACA claim, CSA’s board unilaterally raised the quota of players of colour in franchise teams from five to six.