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Cardiff - Proteas batsman Rassie van der Dussen says that not picking AB de Villiers in the 2019 World Cup squad was the correct decision.
One of the biggest stories of South Africa's World Cup so far, despite their poor results, has been the media bombshell alleging that De Villiers, who retired from international cricket in May last year, had made himself available for World Cup selection as recently as 24 hours before the 15-man squad announcement on April 18.
If De Villiers had been included, and certainly if he had played the home ODI series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, then Van der Dussen would have almost certainly not had his Proteas chance and would have been the likeliest to miss out on World Cup selection.
Van der Dussen only made his ODI debut against Pakistan in January and he played all five matches in that series as well as four in the Sri Lankan series that followed.
Proteas management is understood to have told De Villiers that he would need to play a significant role in at least one of those two series if he wanted to be included.
Speaking to media from South Africa's team hotel in Cardiff on Thursday, Van der Dussen was open of his assessment on De Villiers.
A player who has earned his stripes in domestic cricket for a long time - he averages well over 40 in both List A and first-class cricket - Van der Dussen had to be patient in waiting for his national opportunity.
He believes that including De Villiers at the last minute would have sent the wrong message to other domestic players who are putting in the hard yards hoping to one day represent their country.
"It's not necessarily your best question to ask me, because I am involved in it and had he not retired it would have influenced me directly," a thoughtful Van der Dussen offered.
"You can't, on the day before when the squad has been working for longer than a year, come and say you want to make a comeback now.
"I'm not saying that he was wrong or right ... but it would have set a difficult precedent, not necessarily a wrong one, because he is still one of the best batsmen in the world.
"I just think it was maybe handled not in the correct way from his side.
"I believe that Ottis and Faf gave him opportunities to manage his workloads going into the World Cup because they wanted him to play the World Cup.
"He had a fair chance to manage that and he said 'no' and that he was happy to retire, and that's fair enough. Faf accepted it and Ottis accepted it and they stood by it."
With South Africa winless from four outings at the tournament so far and with their top order struggling to play innings of real substance throughout, this De Villiers distraction could surely not have come at a worse time for the Proteas.
The 30-year-old Van der Dusssen, however, is going about his business with maturity and confidence.
"I wasn't surprised," said Van der Dussen of De Villiers' late change of heart.
"I wasn't surprised that he would want to make a comeback on the world's biggest stage.
"It's something the world's biggest stars have in common is that they want to perform when the pressure is on and the stage at its biggest.
"Did it affect me? No. I'm quite happy to be mentioned in the same sentence as AB.
"He is one of the best there's ever been. Do I have to replace him? I don't feel I do. Can I play match-winning innings for my country? I think I can."
Van der Dussen and the Proteas will next be in action when they take on Afghanistan in a must-win clash in Cardiff on Saturday.
Play starts at 14:30 (SA time).
@LloydBurnard is in England covering the 2019 Cricket World Cup for Sport24 ...
Proteas batsman Rassie van Der Dussen opens up on AB de Villiers' decision to make himself available for the World Cup @Sport24news @News24 pic.twitter.com/NSK0xCUTTc
— Lloyd Burnard (@LloydBurnard) June 13, 2019
