Exclusive: CSA Hits Back at Ottneil Baartman Over World Cup Squad Claim - “That Is Not True”

Cricket South Africa Convenor Selector Patrick Moroney denied the claim made by Ottneil Baartman that he was not made aware of his omission from the South Africa squad for the upcoming 2026 Men's ICC T20 World Cup. 

The Baartman Drama

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. 

This feat added fuel to the fire that was already burning, given that the likes of former Proteas fast bowler Dale Steyn have been vocal on social media about their confusion with Baartman not being included in the squad. 

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 four, taking the purple cap for the second time in the SA20. 

With the Baartman topic rapidly gaining momentum on social media, Moroney told SportsBoom.co.za that he did inform the fast bowler of where he stands in terms of the Proteas plans for the World Cup.

"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 maybe need to find out from him, not from me. But that he was spoken to is definitely a fact," said Moroney. 

"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 maybe 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 Deadline

The squad was announced on 2 January, 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, citing that they had 1 January as a deadline, which they met. 

"We needed to submit the team to the ICC on the 1st, and the team that we selected, we weren't going to change on that team. So, why have a whole squad in doubt throughout the whole SA20 if you knew what your squad was going to be?  The last thing that you wanted during an SA20 is nearly a knee-jerk reaction every time somebody performs," Moroney told SportsBoom.co.za. 

"So, with the players having clarity of where they are, us being able to monitor those players throughout the SA20 from a physical and an emotional point of view and a performance point of view was ideally what we wanted."

"I mean, some teams chose to announce their teams before the deadline of the 1st of January, and some teams chose to leave it right up until the last minute. The team was selected. It wasn't going to change, and unfortunately, due to the nature of injuries, of course, that had an impact."

"But prior to the SA20, we already had our standby list of players. They were aware who was on the standby list, on the backup list, and we executed accordingly," he concluded.