De Villiers, who retired in 2018, is relieved to be a mere spectator this time around.
"It's a shame going into a tournament to have the focus on that.I mean it's nothing new, it's just a shame.
Lungi Ngidi , another black African player, is part of the travelling reserves.
"There are controversial moments back home as per usual with the South African squad just before a World Cup.
Otherwise, he most probably would have been in the squad and there wouldn't have been any controversial stuff back home," de Villiers added.
(Inputs from PTI)
NEW DELHI: Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers expressed his disappointment regarding the ongoing discussions about racial quotas in the South African team just before the World Cup.He believes that it's unfortunate for such a topic to be the focus leading up to a major tournament, although he acknowledges that it's not a new issue. De Villiers, who retired in 2018, is relieved to be a mere spectator this time around."It's a shame going into a tournament to have the focus on that.I mean it's nothing new, it's just a shame. Luckily this time around, I've had nothing to do with anything over there. I'm just a spectator," said the 40-year-old said in an interaction on Jio Cinema.The controversy stems from the presence of only one black player in the South African squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup , which will be held in the Americas starting from June 1.South Africa, often considered favourites but known for choking in crucial moments, face a less-than-ideal situation with this divisive topic taking centre stage just days before their campaign begins against the Netherlands in New York on June 8.According to the policy introduced in 2016, six players of colour, including two from the black African community, are required to be in the South African playing eleven over the course of a season.With Kagiso Rabada being the only black African in the T20 World Cup squad, the national team is set to miss this target. Lungi Ngidi , another black African player, is part of the travelling reserves."There are controversial moments back home as per usual with the South African squad just before a World Cup. I think it's a good team. It's a shame about Lungi... (he) lost a bit of form, had a couple of injuries. Otherwise, he most probably would have been in the squad and there wouldn't have been any controversial stuff back home," de Villiers added.
