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Alonso puts family first

London – Few players would turn down the chance to play in the ICC World Twenty20, but sometimes the “bright lights and glamour” of international cricket is not enough to turn heads.

According to the Evening Standard newspaper, Cape Town-born Alfonso Thomas has been in outstanding form for his English county Somerset in the shortest form of the game in recent years, and the Proteas investigated the possibility of him representing South Africa at the tournament in Sri Lanka later this year.

Thomas has played one T20 international for the Proteas (against Pakistan in 2007), but has decided against making himself available.

“At the age of 35 you have to think of family more than the bright lights and glamour,” he said.

“After a couple of days to think it through, I thought it was too big a gamble.”

The ICC World Twenty20 starts on September 18 with the Proteas drawn in the same group as hosts Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

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