'Like torture for me...,' Kagiso Rabada on being only Black player in South Africa T20 World Cup squad
Kagiso Rabada has been rested from the ODI series against India.
South Africa were the runners-up in the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies with Kagiso Rabada being the only Black player in the Proteas squad. The fact, however, didn't put any pressure on the bowler as he helped South Africa reach their maiden ICC tournament final.
"It didn't put any more pressure on me at all. It would be such a heavy thought, during a World Cup, thinking about yourself being the only black player in a team. That seems like torture for me. That just takes away from focus," said Rabada from Trinidad as reported by ESPNCricinfo.
"I'm a black player, yes. If I don't feel like I should have been there on merit and if people don't feel that way, then it's fine. I'm not invincible. I can be dropped as well but I believe in myself," Rabada added.
The South Africa team is currently in the West Indies for a two-Test series.
The Proteas, since their readmission to world cricket in 1991, havehad a sort of reservation for the coloured players (those who are not white) including two black African players. They had to play four coloured players in Playing XI till 2016.
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Since 2016, however, the rule has become a bit fluid with the team required to play six coloured players of which at least two must be black African players over the course of a season.
Rabada played splendidly and was the second-highest wicket-taker for South Africa in the tournament behind Anrich Nortje.
"You ask yourself, what are some of these factors that might make a player feel that way [that they are only included because of their colour], and it's factors such as we lost because of transformation or because we had to include players of colour or black Africans. And that always happens in World Cups," he said.
