Ntini's form makes him a suspect choice

The shock selection of Border fast bowler Makhaya Ntini for the South African squad to take part in a limited-overs triangular in Sharjah later this year has led to suggestions that the United Cricket Board of SA feel they have an obligation to a player low on form and fans in the domestic game.

Justifying his recall to the national side would be impossible if form was the only criterion. Instead, it appears the UCB feel an obligation to prolong as far as possible the career of the first black graduate of their development programme, even if it means losing what is an already fast-diminishing base of followers as cricket struggles to compete with other forms of entertainment.

Under the circumstances, it was understandable that the mention of Ntini's name at the announcement of the squad at the Wanderers last weekend drew a chorus of boos. Many of those opposed to his selection were women, as was expected, after Ntini's rape conviction, overturned subsequently on appeal. However, many who voiced their disapproval were men and children as well.

The boos were probably directed as much at the player as at the UCB, who won few friends (and, indeed, surely lost some) when they insisted on standing behind Ntini after he had been found guilty and sentenced for rape. Sure, he successfully appealed the conviction and the sentence, but in the months before the appeal was heard, the UCB continued to honour his contract, paying him a hefty monthly retainer.

A more sensible option would have been to suspend his contract pending the outcome of the appeal and the fact that they continued to keep a convicted felon in their employ was, in public relations terms, akin to inviting Hannibal Lector to a masked ball for vegetarians.

One of the players who can feel justifiably aggrieved at being overlooked in favour of Ntini - and there are others - is Gauteng's Andrew Hall, a classy allrounder whose performances this season have sadly gone unrecognised by convener Rushdi Magiet and his co-selectors.

After Wednesday's matches in the Standard Bank Cup, Ntini had taken 10 wickets in five matches. Bearing in mind that Hall takes the new ball for Gauteng and bowls at the death, he had fared only slightly worse with eight wickets in six matches at an average a little inferior to that of Ntini's. First strike to Ntini.

Hall, however, has made his mark on the provincial scene as an opening batsman for Gauteng this season, scoring 359 runs in six matches at an excellent average of 89,75. He recorded his maiden one-day century (129 not out against Border) and also has two half-centuries to his credit. Ntini has made 10 runs in his three innings to date, at an an average of 3,3.

The Gautenger, who was selected for the one-dayers against the West Indies last summer but played in only one match before sustaining an injury, is also a fine slip fielder, with one of the safest pair of hands in the domestic game. Ntini is no more than average in the field. Home run and match to the Gautenger.

Another question raised after the announcement of the one-day squads for India and Sharjah was the timing of the selection.

On the day of the announcement, 29 matches in the domestic Standard Bank Cup competition remained before South Africa's one-day series against India on the sub continent. That means 29 opportunities for players to prove themselves and, even more importantly, 29 opportunities for the selectors to gauge the form of prospective candidates.

The UCB will undoubtedly argue that time was needed to prepare programmes and kit, but the fact that their first one-dayer in India is on March 9 in Cochin means there would have been ample time to perform those duties even if the team had been named after February's Standard Bank Cup programme (giving the selectors another 19 matches in which to assess form). Now, no matter what players like Hall achieve in the next few weeks, it will be in the knowledge that their efforts will have no bearing on the composition of the national squad for their next two one-day assignments.

And whose to say some of those that have been selected won't suffer a lapse in form and go on tour well aware that they are out of nick? The mind boggles.