Head coach Mark Boucher acknowledges it was a "tough" call to leave the in-form Reeza Hendricks out of Monday's T20 World Cup opener against Zimbabwe in Hobart.Hendricks has done all he can to make a play for selection, scoring 296 runs that included four straight half-centuries in his last five Proteas T20 innings at an average of just under 60.
With national captain Temba Bavuma now fully fit, however, there is no longer space for Hendricks in the T20 starting XI, and he watched on as rain had the final say and Monday's tournament opener ended in a 'no result' for South Africa.
When play was finally stopped for the last time, the Proteas were 51/0 (3) and well on course to land a resounding victory and kickstart their campaign.
Quinton de Kock was sublime for his 47* (17), while Bavuma was 2*(2). "It's tough," Boucher conceded when asked about Hendricks' omission. "Temba has come in in his place.