Cricket SA convenor selector Patrick Moroney denied the claim made by Ottneil Baartman that he was not made aware of his omission from the SA squad for the upcoming 2026 Men’s ICC T20 World Cup. During the recently concluded Betway SA20, Paarl Royals and Proteas fast bowler Baartman told the reporters that he had received no communication before and after the World Cup squad was announced earlier this month. Steyn made the point that Baartman had proved time and again that he is leagues above many fast bowlers in South Africa, particularly in the shortest format of the game.
After all, Baartman finished as the top wicket taker in the recently concluded SA20 season, taking the purple cap for the second time in the SA20. “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 may need to find out from him, not from me. But that he was spoken to is definitely a fact,” said Moroney.
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“Unfortunately, in the make-up of a side, there’s no space for 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. He knows that for us, again, the situation never changed.
As I said, you may ask him why he said he was never spoken to. And in my words, ‘never spoken to’ means he never had a phone call. And that is not true.” The squad was announced on January 2, about a week into the SA20, a feat that created an uproar, as many believed the SA20 could have been used to scout the readiness and form of the players. However, Moroney cleared the air, stating that they had January 1 as a deadline, which they met.
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