South Africa had discovered a budding star in the last few months. Duanne Olivier had headlined the charts after he burst onto the scene. The pacer emerged as a threatening bowler for his pace and bounce. For Faf du Plessis, he was literally the go-to bowler in the past couple of Test series at home.
But little did he know that the fast bowler would snub the national team soon. Duanne Olivier has decided not to prolong his international career as he is signing a Kolpak deal. The County Club Yorkshire has roped him in. With the Kolpak, Olivier will not be considered as an overseas player in English domestic cricket.
The 26-year-old represented South Africa in just 10 Test matches. He took 48 wickets at an average of 19.25. He also played 2 ODIs for South Africa. Even though Duanne Olivier played only a handful number games, his departure is bound to weaken the bowling attack of South Africa.
Olivier, in a statement for the Yorkshire CCC website, mentioned that he was willing to give up international cricket for an opportunity to play for the county side.
“I would be lying if I said this wasn’t a difficult decision to make. It’s giving up playing for my country with no guarantees of playing international cricket again. But at the end of the day, I needed to be true to myself. I’ve only got this one chance to see where my talent can take me and Yorkshire just felt right to me.”
CSA disappointed with Olivier’s departure
South African cricket has witnessed several players snubbing international cricket in favor of Kolpak deals. In the past, players like Simon Harmer, Stiaan van Zyl, Rilee Rossouw and Kyle Abbott had also opted for Kolpak over a national selection.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) had offered Duanne Olivier a contract through to 2021. The Board has expressed its disappointment over the pacer’s decision. The coach Ottis Gibson also displayed his discontent as the Board saw great future for the cricketer.
“We are naturally disappointed with Duanne’s decision to sign a Kolpak contract. He has been a key feature for us this summer and was without a doubt one of our standout performers. We held several meetings with him regarding his future with the Proteas throughout the summer and even offered him a two-year contract. To see him cut short a promising international career is disappointing. Ultimately, it was a decision we could not control despite our best efforts,” said Gibson as quoted by Cricbuzz.
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