CSA not happy with Duanne Olivier signing Kolpak deal with Yorkshire

The cricketing fraternity was literally stunned after South Africa’s fast bowler Duanne Olivier signed a Kolpak deal with Yorkshire on Tuesday. He was the major reason for the team’s success recently against Pakistan and was also in line to make it to the World Cup squad. However, a three-year deal with the County side has led to Olivier stalling his international career which has disappointed the Cricket South Africa (CSA) a lot.

The board released a statement immediately after the news broke through and cleared that Olivier rejected the national contract offered to him. CSA also pointed out how regular opportunities were given to him during the home season while also clearing that the cricketer was given financial security by upgrading him into a national contract.

“We find it extremely disappointing that Duanne has taken this step after all the opportunities we have given him, particularly over the past season and going forward, to live his dream of being an international cricketer.

“He was upgraded to a national contract during the current season on the strength of his outstanding performances in our Test squad and we offered him a two-year contract which would have given him financial security through to the end of the 2020-2021 season,” CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said in the statement.

Coach also not pleased

Meanwhile, the coach Ottis Gibson has also echoed similar sentiments and isn’t pleased with Duanne Olivier. He informed that they had several meetings about the cricketer’s future and had also offered him a central contract but in the end, the board couldn’t change Olivier’s decision.

“We are naturally disappointed with Duanne’s decision to sign a Kolpak contract. He has been a key feature for us this summer and was without a doubt one of our standout performers. We held several meetings with him regarding his future with the Proteas throughout the summer and even offered him a two-year contract. To see him cut short a promising international career is disappointing. Ultimately, it was a decision we could not control despite our best efforts,” he added.

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