Former pacer Dale Steyn has questioned the exclusion of Ottniel Baartman from South Africa`s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Baartman is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing SA20 League 2025-26. So far in the four matches for Paarl Royals, he returned with 11 wickets with an economy rate of 9.20.
He was also part of South Africa`s squad, which lost against Team India in the title clash of the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in Barbados. Since then, he has featured in just 11 of South Africa`s 29 matches and finds himself on the outside as they hope to go one better next month.
Ahead of the upcoming global showpiece, Baartman failed to make the cut in the South African squad as its consists of the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kwena Maphaka, and Anrich Nortje.
Speaking about him, the former pacer said that Baartman is one of the Proteas` best white-ball bowlers. Despite winning the SA20 twice in his career, the pacer will not make his appearance in South Africa`s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.
“We really need to start looking at Baartman as one of SA`s best white ball bowlers. He`s the highest wicket taker in SA20, won the league twice and made a final, let me remind you, that`s a comp that has 4 INTERNATIONAL players (often batters) plus all the PROTEAS! He`s number 1. Thats TOP quality, but he`ll be sitting home for this years 20/20 WC,” Steyn wrote on X.
Baartman made his T20I debut against the West Indies at Kingston in May 2024. Since then, he has played 17 T20Is and picked up 22 wickets at an average of 21.59. The 32-year-old has an economy of 8.21, including two four-wicket hauls.
South Africa is placed in Group D of the T20 World Cup 2026 along with teams such as Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. They will open their campaign against Canada on February 9 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The semi-finals 1 and 2 of the tournament have been scheduled to be played on March 4 and 5, respectively. The fans will witness the title clash of the global showpiece on March 8.
(With ANI Inputs)
