"A player should be chosen based on her form" - Anjum Chopra on Dane van Niekerk being left out of South Africa's squad after failing fitness test
Former Indian Women's skipper Anjum Chopra personally feels South Africa shouldn't have left out Dane Van Niekerk from their ICC Women's T20 World Cup squad based on fitness requirements.
The former Proteas captain will not be part of the mega event after she failed to meet Cricket South Africa's fitness standards that required female cricketers to run two kilometers in nine minutes and 30 seconds. Van Niekerk missed the mark by 18 seconds.
Incidentally, the senior all-rounder, who is recovering from an ankle injury, also failed to clear the test ahead of the recently concluded tri-series, involving India and the West Indies.
However, Chopra feels performance should be the main criterion for selecting a player in the side. She added that South Africa will feel her absence in the Women's T20 World Cup on home soil.
"This is Cricket South Africa’s decision and I read a few reports that they have kept a marking that you have to complete 2kms within a stipulated time frame," Chopra said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel. "If you don't do it l, you fail the test. It's a very personal choice to decide whether it's right or wrong. My opinion is that it is wrong because a player should be chosen based on her form and what impact she can have on the side.
"I know Dane van Niekerk is a very important player and South Africa will miss her," she continued. "But they recently beat India in the tri-series where she wasn’t there. So time will only tell how much they will miss her."
Van Niekerk has featured in 86 T20Is, scoring 1877 runs at a strike rate of almost 95. She also has taken 65 wickets, with the best figures of 4/17.
South Africa squad for ICC Women's T20 World Cup
Squad: Sune Luus (capt), Chloe Tryon (vice-capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Laura Wolvaardt, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Delmi Tucker, and Annerie Dercksen.
Non-traveling reserves: Micaéla Andrews, Tebogo Macheke, and Tumi Sekhukhune.
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