The silence of the selectors: Ottneil Baartman left in the dark after T20 World Cup snub

When Shukri Conrad first took over the Test side, one of the standout qualities his players praised was the clarity and honesty he brought to the team environment.

Even before becoming national coach, Conrad had built a reputation in domestic cricket for being brutally honest — a trait players appreciated because they knew exactly where they stood. However, South African cricket fans were recently shocked to learn that this transparency appears to have vanished regarding one of the country's best T20 bowlers in a World Cup year.

Following his record-breaking second T20 five-wicket haul in Pretoria on Thursday, Ottneil Baartman revealed there has been zero communication between himself, Conrad, and Convenor of Selectors Patrick Moroney regarding his omission from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup squad.

The timing is particularly baffling given that Baartman was part of the Proteas T20I squad in India as recently as last month. Despite being in the inner circle, the 32-year-old was never told where he stood, even as Conrad recently revealed to the public that the coaching staff had already settled on their preferred squad while on that tour.

"To be honest, I never had a conversation with them," Baartman said. "Our selector called me when I was picked for the Indian series, but before that, nobody communicated with me. Nobody actually spoke to me before or after [the World Cup squad announcement]. So, I can’t say anything more on that."

As a result, Baartman has been left in the dark about what he needs to improve to fight his way back into national contention. Despite the snub, the seamer maintained his professionalism, showing no signs of a grudge.

"I don't know [what I need to improve on]. I can't speak for them," Baartman said. "I think Shuks selected the 15 based on what we're going to expect in India. He selected the best team that's going to win him the World Cup. So, I can't say much about it, but I wish them all the very best."

Baartman was not the only player left out of the loop. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi reportedly only discovered his own inclusion in the World Cup squad on the day of the announcement while in a car with his Pretoria Capitals teammates.

Regardless of whether Conrad is now limited by the new selection structure under Moroney, the lack of communication is a poor reflection on a regime that once prided itself on honesty. For now, Baartman is letting his cricket do the talking.

His 5/16 against the Capitals included the second-ever hat-trick in SA20 history and moved him to the top of the all-time wicket-taking charts with 57 scalps.

He returns to action this Saturday when the Paarl Royals visit Kingsmead to face Durban's Super Giants.