India vs South Africa 2019 : Faf du Plessis feels that Brexit will benefit South African cricket
After India whitewashed them in the three-match Test series, South Africa captain Faf du Plessis expressed his disappointment over the same in his post-series interview. the skipper felt that the lack of a proper combination in the side played a major role in the team’s failure.
The captain said that their team has suffered a lot because of the Kolpak deal, but he is hopeful that Brexit would prevent the players from signing the Kolpak deal so, they will play for their home nation. He told the reporters,
“What this(3-0 defeat) has shown us is that our structures are not where they need to be. The gap between domestic and international cricket needs to be narrowed. Also, three to four years ago, if someone had the vision of saying,’in three or four years a lot of 34,35,36 year-olds will retire, so we have to make sure we get ourselves ready for that time.”
The Proteas skipper believes that Brexit is the only thing that could help in rebuilding the South African cricket as it will help in keeping the seasoned pros in South Africa.
“It’s sad for South African cricket not to have the option of their best players,” du Plessis told reporters after his side’s innings and 202-run defeat by India in the third Test. “Simon Harmer has had an unbelievable season and it would be great for South Africa to be in a position where they could go (for tours). He’s done well overseas. Let’s bring him on tour with us. So maybe, post-Brexit, guys will still go and play there (in England), but you can still pick them for your country.”
According to du Plessis, the domestic cricket veterans are choosing to sign a Kolpak deal instead of playing in South Africa. Even the senior international players have preferred to play in England instead of helping the upcoming players in the domestic circuit.
Besides expressing his displeasure about the Kolpak deal's negative impact on the game in South Africa, he also praised the Indian bowling attack for their efforts in the series but, the visiting captain would definitely expect his team to pull off a better performance in the future matches.