TOPIC:

Gee Olivier has made a big impression since coming into the Test side with nearly 50 wickets at ave 19 in only 10 Tests.
I really struggle to understand how one can give up a Test cap to go play County cricket but I assume that it may have something to do with the SA selection policy?!?!

Bease: i think he would be motivated by a couple of things

selection policy
the weakness of the rand -- cricketers would be paid quite well comparred to other South Africans, but because of the collapse of the currency, you really need to make your money in pounds or dollars to be well off.

i agree, i am sure it was a very hard decision for him.

As the fella said he couldn't be guaranteed a regular go...not many places where 4 quicks get played...despite his record, the guy is still behind, Rabada, Philander and Steyn in the bowling queue....has he even played in a test outside SA?.....Yorkshire's gain me thinks.....

Spot on BH
This is from the ESPN cricinfo website
"South African cricket has a quota system. In September last year, Cricket South Africa announced that a maximum of five white players can be picked in the eleven, on average. This means some white players, such as Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw, may not get as many chances to play for South Africa and are hence choosing to move to England"
Also due to the weakness of the South Africa rand, they are going to make a lot more money playing county cricket in England.
Brexit will also have an impact on the future of these Kolpak contracts as they are an EU thing and will no longer be possible if and when England withdraw.

Freezin: they did take him to England and he played in the tests but strugglled a bit due to an inablity to control the swing.

In regards the selction policy Philander and Steyn are not young bowllers and are no threat to him long term. it is a money question. Two years hence, the African attack could be looking pretty thin centred on just Rabada and theother young black guy, Luguni. It will be the weakest seam attack we have seen since they started playing test cricket again.

One thing is for sure SA will have another handful of quality fast bowlers waiting in the wings to take Olivier's spot....they have always had a plethora of good quickies in SA!

BH, Can you name your top five seamers from South Africa?

ArkRoyal wrote: BH, Can you name your top five seamers from South Africa?

In my time AR in no particular order-
Alan Donald
Shaun Pollock
Dale Steyn
Vern Philander
Kagiso Rabada

Other names worthy of note- Morkel, Ntini, Klusener, Kallis, Schultz, Nel, McMillan, Hayward, Matthews, Hall, Abbott, Snell, Parnell, Fanie De Villiers and back before their reintroduction in 1992- P.Pollock, Barlow, Proctor, Rice, Le Roux et al.

BH: good one -- I think i would put Donald first as he nerly knocked Gilchrist's head off with one ball. Two unique bowllers, destructive left handrs Van der Bilj and Schultz, the latter of whom was injurred a lot.

Do you re-call Brett Lee having a ago at Hayward?