- Proteas Test skipper Dean Elgar was quick to point out that the squad's welcoming of Duanne Olivier for the series against India was a warm one.
- The 29-year-old Lions quick controversially put a stop to his international career in 2019 by taking up a Kolpak contract with Yorkshire.
- But Elgar said there are no hard feelings and that the Proteas need to maximise their chance of beating the Indians, which means picking Olivier.
Duanne Olivier definitely didn't receive a frosty reception after re-joining the Proteas Test squad for the first time in almost three years.
In fact, skipper Dean Elgar was quick to point out that the response to the 29-year-old quick's inclusion for the three-Test series against India was "very positive".
Olivier is the second ex-Kolpak player to make an international return after Wayne Parnell, who was part of the ODI squad for the truncated series against the Netherlands, but undeniably the more controversial pick given how his initial stint ended.
Following a record-breaking 24 scalps in a three-match series against Pakistan in 2018/19, he summarily announced that he had taken up a contract with English county Yorkshire and ruffled a few feathers when he suggested early on that he couldn't rule out the possibility of qualifying for England.
Yet Olivier retained some association with the local game by appearing for the Joburg Giants in the Mzansi Super League and, with Brexit having spelt the end of the Kolpak era, is now contracted to the Lions, where he tops the wicket-taking charts in the 4-Day Series with 28 at an average of just 11.10.
To have ignored him would've bordered on shooting oneself in the foot.
"Duanne's played with a lot of the guys in the past, and there are a lot of his Lions teammates from the Four-Day competition here in the squad. The players have responded pretty well to him," Elgar said ahead of the first Test starting in Centurion on Sunday.
South Africa's captain personally also sees no reason to hold the past against Olivier, adopting the stance that - at the highest level - improving one's chances of winning is the only factor that should be taken into account.
"I want to create our best opportunity to win matches and series and in order for that to happen, you need to make tough calls, for instance bringing people back," said Elgar.
"I was very keen to have him back, I'm happy and excited to have him back, knowing what he can do on the field. There are no bad feelings about what’s happened in the past."
While his current form suggests Olivier's primed to resume a fruitful Test career that's delivered 48 wickets in just 10 outings, Elgar noted that his time in England has added new strings to his bow.
He's not just pacy enforcer anymore.
"It's nice to have him back, he adds a little bit of different intensity and energy. You can see he's a different cricketer to what he was the first time he played for us," said Elgar.
"Obviously in his time away, he's learned a lot, played a lot of matches in county cricket and gained a lot of experience. He’s bringing a lot of knowledge and experience into the change-room which is something that we need at the moment.
"He's a match-winner, and if he wins matches for us, I'm all for having him back."
The first ball on Sunday will be bowled at 10:00.