As many as seven uncapped players were named for the series that was part of the World Test Championship, even as first-choice players participated in the SA20 league at home.
Neil Brand, captain of the New Zealand team, made his Test debut during the opening match at Mount Maunganui and the hosts were expected to win the series 2-0.
Remembering that controversial episode, Rabada hoped that the players would not have to go through such unpleasant moments again.
“It was very, very unacceptable and remains unacceptable till date. Obviously it was a matter of planning. It’s unacceptable, that’s all I would say about it,” Rabada, one of the game’s leading fast bowlers, told PTI in a interview. .
Rabada, who is currently playing for Punjab Kings in the IPL, also offered great support to the non-international South African players who found themselves in that awkward situation through no fault of their own.
“If I can go back to that point, it’s not fair to attack the players. It’s not fair to say that the players are being chosen and they got free trial limits. I don’t think it’s fair to criticize the players. They just asked them to go there and to the At the end of the day they are not going to say no.
“At the end of the day, we didn’t really have a choice to go there. [New Zealand] due to the importance of SA20. “It’s like shooting yourself in the foot,” says the 28-year-old who considers Test cricket to be the number one format of the game.
“Cricket comes from Test cricket and from my perspective, Test is the best format. I imagine all the great players who play in all formats would say that Test cricket is their favorite format. It’s the same for me too.” .
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At the moment, India, England and Australia play the most red-ball games in a WTC cycle, including five-match Test series against each other.
“When it comes to countries excluding India, England and Australia, it’s quite unfortunate,” Rabada said. “The way I see it, to become a powerful cricket nation without the advantage of currency or television rights, is about playing good cricket.
“The better you play, the more teams want to play you. It’s very difficult to argue against why those nations would want to play each other because, at the end of the day, it’s about sustaining the business of cricket, which is about generating revenue and that’s what it is. how the game stays alive.
“How can you bring in other nations that play the same amount of Test cricket? I’m not sure. If you’re thinking about prolonging Test cricket, if you want kids to continue playing Test cricket around the world, then you You must make a plan.”
“You pay cricketers [well] but it is also a culture. It’s not just about the money, because the money that cricketers are blessed with today. They can earn enough money through leagues.
“It’s fantastic what the BCCI is doing to encourage Test players. But it’s also a culture as all cricket comes from Test cricket,” added the South African who has taken 291 wickets in just 62 Tests.