Dale Steyn slammed Cricket South Africa (CSA) for omitting talented David Bedingham from their central contract list. He questioned whether the board wants the batter “to go back to the UK”.

David Bedingham is one of the contemporary promising batters in South Africa. After putting in the hard yards in domestic cricket – at Durham as well as Western Province – he made his Test debut at 29 in the home Test series against India and shone immediately with an 87-ball 56.

On the subsequent New Zealand tour where South Africa toured with a second-string squad, he scored his maiden Test hundred in Hamilton, albeit in a losing cause. At this point, his career record stands at 347 runs in four Tests at 49.57.

However, Bedingham has been left out of CSA’s list of contracted players for the 2024-25 season. Steyn took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent his frustration at the snub: “WTAF! Do we want him to go back to the UK, CSA genuinely forcing his hand, and if he did, I’d shake it and say well done.”

WTAF!
Do we want him to go back to the UK, CSA genuinely forcing his hand, and if he did, I’d shake it and say well done. 👍

— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) March 26, 2024

Among those who had central contracts last year but have been released for the 2024-25 season include recently retired Dean Elgar, Quinton de Kock, Keegan Petersen and fast bowlers Sisanda Magala, Wayne Parnell and Anrich Nortje.

De Kock called time on his ODI career after the 2023 World Cup but committed to playing T20Is. Nortje’s career, meanwhile, has been hampered by injuries lately. The pacer missed the ODI World Cup last year as well as the entire home summer due to a back injury. He is currently playing the IPL for Delhi Capitals and will look to push his case for his selection in the T20I World Cup squad.

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