- Proteas coach Mark Boucher said paceman Duanne Olivier has to work his way back into the national team reckoning.
- Olivier took up a Kolpak contract in 2019 after an excellent start to his Test career.
- Olivier is reported to have joined the Lions ahead of next year's revamped domestic system.
Proteas coach Mark Boucher has made it clear that former paceman Duanne Olivier will have to do the hard yards before he is considered for national team selection.
The 28-year-old who has played 10 Tests and two ODIs between 2017 and 2019, took up a Kolpak contract in 2019 where he joined up with Yorkshire.
With Great Britain leaving the European Union, Olivier's status as a Kolpak player has been threatened. He has reportedly signed with Gauteng ahead of Cricket South Africa's expanded domestic system that will feature 15 teams split into two divisions of eight and seven teams each.
Boucher said Olivier, who has 48 Test wickets at 19.25, has to earn his stripes before he breaks back into national reckoning.
“There are a lot of things that need to happen for him to be even considered. He has to show form at franchise level. We can’t judge him on what he’s done overseas and what he’s done in the past. He’s got to come into our system and perform properly. There are also the dynamics of him coming into our system,” Boucher said.
“He has to show good attitude and energy, but there are a whole lot of dynamics we have to look into as a management team. He must get back into our system and start performing.”
Olivier did not have the best of 2019's with Yorkshire, taking 10 scalps at 36.40 in four matches while in 2019, he took 43 wickets at 32.32 in 13 matches.
Olivier shot to prominence with the Knights in their successful 2016/17 Sunfoil Series campaign when he took 52 wickets in eight matches at 18.13.