Cricket
Telemachus forced to quit
2009-08-18 19:44
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Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – Former Proteas pace bowler Roger Telemachus has been advised on medical grounds to quit all cricket with immediate effect.
That much emerged on Tuesday at a Sahara Park Newlands media briefing over the Cape Cobras’ plans for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India from October 8-23.
Coach Shukri Conrad revealed that the veteran Telemachus, 36, could not be considered for their squad, despite having represented them with some success in their Standard Bank Pro20-winning campaign.
“Obviously Roger has ‘retired’ a couple of times before, but we saw fit to bring him back for the Pro20 last summer and he did very well for us. He was right up for selection (for the India trip), having trained as hard as anyone in the winter months.
“But sadly he has a medical condition that has deteriorated over the years; Cricket South Africa were aware of it many years ago.
“As recently as last Thursday we sent him for an angiogram (a medical procedure to gauge whether there are problems in the blood vessels such as blockages) and unfortunately the diagnosis was not particularly good.
“Roger was advised not to play any further competitive sport.
“He’s naturally very disappointed; he played a huge part in getting us to this position of getting into the Champions League.”
Telemachus played 37 ODIs (56 wickets at 27.94) and three T20 internationals in a career for his country that spanned eight years between 1998 and 2006.
He recorded his best ODI figures of 4/43 in just his second appearance for the Proteas, against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead in 1998.
His last appearance at that level was against Zimbabwe at Potchefstroom in 2006, when he registered figures of 8-0-33-2 in a comfortable, very high-scoring South African win.
He played in the famous “438” victory over Australia at the Wanderers, although like most bowlers on the day he was carted all over the park, going for 87 runs in his 10 overs.
Stellenbosch-born Telemachus played for all of Boland, the Cobras and Eagles domestically, and bagged 228 first-class wickets (best innings figures 6/21) at 28.14. He also boasts a first-class century as a relatively carefree tail-ender.
Telemachus was jinxed by injuries at crucial stages of his career, and the in-your-face seamer might also have played more matches for South Africa – possibly including some Tests – had his career not coincided with those of illustrious pace bowlers like Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock,
Makhaya Ntini, Lance Klusener and later Dale Steyn and company.