Share

Ontong still yearns to play for the Proteas

Cape Town - Cape Cobras veteran batsman Justin Ontong still dreams of representing the Proteas in the longest format of the game.

Ontong, 37, has only donned the whites for his national side on two occasions - in 2002 against Australia and 2004 against India.

He failed to perform on both occasions, only making 57 runs in total and taking the single wicket of India's Harbhajan Singh.

The all-rounder however has played on numerous occasions in the shorter formats - appearing in 28 ODIs and 14 T20Is.

Ontong has not played international cricket since captaining the team in their T20I win over the West Indies in January 2015.

Despite his unsuccessful international career, his First-class record of 11 564 runs at an average of 41.59 with 25 centuries indicates that Ontong is still a force to be reckoned with.

At this year's Cape Cobras awards, he walked away with the Sunfoil Series Player of the Year accolade.

Ontong struck 593 runs at an average of 53.90 in the 2016/17 season and finished fourth on the national list of batting averages.

Looking ahead at his final two years of playing domestic cricket, Ontong wants to leave on high and see the Cobras lift another Sunfoil Series trophy.

"I want to be the best player domestically during the next two seasons of my career with the Cobras and I would like to see them (Cobras) back at the summit of the logs," Ontong was quoted as saying on the Cobras' official website.

"But I still dream of representing South Africa in another Test."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE