South African cricketer Khaya Zondo has revealed that he has lost respect for AB de Villiers as he was his captain during the India tour in 2015 which saw him being sidelined for Dean Elgar in a ODI match in Mumbai. Zondo was dropped for the series decider at Wankhede as the India and South Africa were locked 2-2 in an intense limited-overs series. He revealed that the then captain AB de Villiers came and told him flat out that he might not be in the playing eleven.
He also alleged that despite being part of the squad he was dropped in favour of Dean Elgar who was not even part of the initial squad and was flown in from South Africa.
“The captain (de Villiers) called me over to the side, away from the rest of the team and mentioned to me he was the one who felt I should not play. He was trying to explain himself and he was taking full responsibility for the decision,” Zondo read from his prepared submission to the Transformation Ombudsman, Adv. Dumisa Ntsebeza.
“I remember in the moment of him explaining himself to me, losing all respect for him as a captain, and as someone I looked up to as a cricketing hero of mine because I could not believe this guy was trying to justify himself to me, and it came across as if I should accept this decision because the decision came from him.”
“I switched off mentally for the rest of the day and I detached myself from the team because it was clear I was not wanted,” Zondo said. “Switching off helped me cope with everything that was happening. The hardest part was watching the players who were selected ahead of me playing and having the opportunity to shine for South Africa on a world stage, in India and having a chance to play and potentially impress and get future IPL opportunities.”
Zondo had testified in private and asked the authorities to keep his statements private.
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