South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has dismissed the idea that he felt any added pressure during the T20 World Cup 2024, despite being the only Black African player in the squad. He mentioned that constantly thinking about this would have been distracting and detrimental to his focus on winning the tournament.
The selection of the Proteas' squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 drew attention because Rabada was the sole Black player. This selection did not align with the requirement for the national team to include at least six players of colour, with a minimum of two Black Africans in the playing XI. It was notable as the first time since 2016 that a South African World Cup squad had only six players of colour, and the first time since 2015 with only one Black African player.
In an interview Rabada expressed that he did not feel any additional burden due to his unique position. He suggested that focusing on such an issue during a major tournament would be overwhelming and counterproductive. Rabada, now 29, acknowledged that his ethnicity does not make him immune to being dropped from the team, pointing out that he values merit over racial considerations in selection.
Rabada said, "I didn't put any more pressure on me at all. It would be such a heavy thought, during a World Cup, thinking about yourself being the only black player in a team. That seems like torture for me. That just takes away from focus." He added that while he is aware of his status as a Black player, he believes in earning his place in the team on merit and understands that he can be dropped based on performance like any other player.
White-ball coach Rob Walter addressed concerns about the squad's composition, explaining that he chose the best available players for the tournament. However, he acknowledged that Cricket South Africa (CSA) needs to enhance domestic cricket standards to ensure better demographic representation in future World Cups, including the 2027 event.
Rabada also touched on the psychological impact media narratives can have on players, particularly regarding transformative targets and team selection based on race. He emphasised that while his primary focus was on winning the World Cup, he recognised that other players might feel differently about these issues.
He noted, "These are certain challenges [we face] and you ask a valid question because you wonder how players must have felt in the past, how players in the future might feel. And these are things we need to address. For me, it was just about winning [the World Cup]. But for other players, you never know how it feels. And also, what the media has to say about the situation can really mess up the players' psychology or psyche."
Rabada continued by highlighting the inconsistencies in public perception, noting that issues of transformation in team selection are often highlighted during major tournaments but not as much during regular series.
The South African cricket team is set to compete in a Test series against the West Indies, starting on August 7th.