Proteas pace bowler Lungi Ngidi admits he was furious after being dropped by Test coach Shukri Conrad.
Conrad instead selected debutant Gerald Coetzee for the home series against the West Indies, which South Africa won 2-0.
“I wasn’t disappointed, I was angry, if I could be honest,” Ngidi told News24.
“I was very angry, but we have a new coach in Shuks and he sees value in a player in a certain position and you have to give the guy a chance,” Ngidi said of Coetzee, who took nine wickets in the two Tests. “He’s a young fast bowler who has exciting qualities and he’s very competitive,”
“As players, we hardly ever get angry at other players because we’re all competing for their country.
“This is their opportunity, but at the time, personally, I was a bit angry, but that passes by over a couple of days, and one needs to get back into the hard work mindset.”
Ngidi was a casuality of the Proteas’ poor Test tour of Australia, in which he took just two wickets for 133 runs.
“I had a certain role to play in the team,” he said. “I thought I played that role well, then I got left out, but that’s a part of the game when players get dropped. I happened to be one of them.
“You have to find a way of trying to get back in, but I can’t change my stats as my numbers speak for themselves.
“However, if they’re not enough, I need to find a way to do better.”
