Only time will tell whether the South African cricket selectors have erred in not including ousted tearaway Makhaya Ntini for their upcoming tour of India.

It is a known fact of course that Ntini, who has been the kingpin in their attack for some time after the retirement of Shaun Pollock, has not been hitting his straps of late.

But as the saying goes, ‘form is temporary and class permanent’.

Another factor to consider obviously, is that Ntini is now what they call the wrong side of 30, that results in fast bowlers losing a bit of their edge as we are told.

However, Ntini, who has time and again been rated as South Africa’s most popular sportsman, among old and young alike, is not one to shy away from a heavy workload.

More so, Ntini, at one stage rated one of the fittest, if arguably not the fittest , international cricketer, has an indefatigable approach to his work as a cricketer and life in general, and it is hard to see him giving those who may think his time is up, that benefit of doubt – just yet.

Now the man once the spearhead of the Proteas attack along with the likes of Pollock, and who would inevitably take an important wicket when the chips were down, has been cast aside by his own.

The Proteas have now turned their attention to the young guard. And who can blame them. The likes of Wayne Parnell, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, and Morne Morkel, the latter of whom aided and abetted no.1 fast bowler in the world, Dale Steyn, to putting the skids under the Poms in their recent Test series in South Africa, albeit drawn 1-1.

However, South African cricket authorities, who are keen to give the younger set their break, and who have their eye on SA cricket’s future, may have forgotten that it is India they next will play – away that is.

Parnell and Tsotsobe, both leftarmers, add variation to the Proteas outfit, as is coach Mickey Arthur’s preference.

But at the tender age of 19, would it be fair to throw these young pair of cricketers to the wolves in India?

Without a man like Ntini (101 Test matches) at their side? Parnell and Tsotsobe leapt to fame in Australia last year, helping the Proteas wallop their nemesis in the One-Day Internationals.

But remember, South Africa was buoyed as it was by their Test series win over the self-same Aussies Down Under, and, having that kind of motivation must have helped matters a lot for these young tykes.

Not to mention the bouncier tracks Down Under. India probably have of the finest strokemakers in world cricket, and, it would be a depressing sight to see these youngsters being carted around the park, on placid pitches if it happens, on their tour to that neck of the woods.

One Test or one ODI doth not a good cricketer make. Neither do two or three, five or ten for that matter. Duminy, a brilliant talent indeed, is a case in point. The champion batter is currently struggling for runs after a meteoric rise to fame in Australia last year.

The point: It takes a good couple of matches, over some length of time before one can go down in the annals – batter or bowler.

Of course Tsotsobe and Parnell may land up on the sidelines in India – who knows, but looking at the Proteas’ thinking that is unlikely. Steyn, also the champion bowler that he is, has been helped by quicker pitches that had aided him in the beginning, to get him off to a cracking start as a rookie to Test cricket.

Morkel despite his recent success still has to prove himself in the long term. It is well known that when things are going wrong for Morkel, well he loses the plot – from a mindset point of view. So he’s still got to prove that he is over that, despite displaying some hostile and accurate bowling against the English.

Another factor is that the SA quicks do not like the docile tracks – such as those in India, Sri Lanka – nor does any quick bowler worth his pace.

It is usual for the South African quicks in particular to slump their shoulders when things aren’t working for them.

Ntini could also be a mentor to the younger guys in the squad. Surely after Pollock’s departure he was hailed as the senior statesman in the bowling department.

A man who has played 101 Tests (testimony to his fitness levels) with a bowling average of 28.82, 18 five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket hauls (the first South African to take ten at Lord’s) is proof enough.

Question: why has Ntini been discarded from both ODI and Test squads? So quickly?

Given his level of fitness and hunger, he is certainly not past his best.

A few weeks ago, during their third Test against England in Cape Town, Ntini who was left out of the team, was said to have left the squad to play a match for his franchise, the EC Warriors.

He was reportedly given permission. But surely if you are a dedicated Protea such as he is, isn’t it important to hang around when the team needs you, even when you aren’t playing?

It was reported that he had signed or was about to sign a contract with Middelsex. Then Ntini was quoted as saying that he was not finished with International cricket, that he would fight to retain his place. My opinion is that all is not well around Ntini and his omission from the Proteas set-up.

After playing his 101th Test, it seemed that he could have been told so to speak: ‘Well mate you’ve done your time, thanks but you’re excess baggage now.” There’s more to it than meets the eye, and there’s possibly more to the story, that will hopefully surface some time later.

It’s difficult to see how the powers that be would allow Ntini another chance, with the current status quo intact. Maybe we’ll be proved wrong.

But if Ntini doesn’t make it back to the cauldron, and is not allowed a proper send off by the South African cricket family, after what he has done as a (black) South African for the game for many thousands in the country, (on merit) will be nothing short of an indictment and a disgrace.

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