Since being controversially omitted from the Proteas Test touring squad to Australia due to a supposed ankle injury, the high-flying Ryan Rickelton has racked up two centuries in as many games for the Gauteng Lions.

Rickelton made his long-awaited – and expected – Test debut for the Proteas against Bangladesh in April before playing his last one against England in September. 

South Africa’s convener of selectors, Victor Mpitsang, howevercited a sustained ankle injury as the reasoning for Rickelton’srecent Test squad omission. Ironically, though, the 26-year-old then went on to score two tons in recent weeks during the ongoing CSA 4-Day Franchise Series against the North West Dragons and Titans respectively.

Rickelton’s circumspect exclusion seems understandable, but other factors have just not added up, especially with regards to the form he’s been displaying. The wicketkeeper-batsman has shed some light on this confounding situation.

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around what’s going on, to be honest,” Rickelton said exclusively to Cricket Fanatics Magazine. “Just a couple of weeks ago I got a call from Vic saying, ‘you’re down on the team sheet to go to Australia but effectively there’s a cross next to your name. What’s going on?’

“I said, ‘Vic, I don’t know what’s going on. I’m fine and fit to play.’ Long story, short, he said he needed to get hold of the doctor to find out what’s going on. My ankle, at the moment, has probably been hurt for about three years, the surgeon reckons.

“It flared up just after that last Test against England, and when I got home I did an X-ray, and the X-ray needed me to do an MRI and an ultrasound and so on. Eventually, it found out that I tore a ligament in my left ankle and I have a bone spur, which does require an operation.”

But with a full summer of cricket ahead – including the Australian outbound tour in December and the SA20 in January – Rickelton said he was adamant that “it wasn’t something I was going to miss”. Upon discussions with his doctor, they had instead made arrangements for him “to get through this”.

They came up with plans in which required Rickelton to take his cortisone injections and work on his range for him to “be fine for at least another six to 12 months comfortably”, to which the batsman agreed.

“He signed off on that,” Rickelton added. “I was all ready to go. Like I said, I didn’t want to miss out on anything because there was a lot coming up.”

After he’d “moved gingerly” during the T20 Challenge over a month ago, the South African lead doctor became ratherskeptical of his injury, and that’s where the miscommunications had intruded. 

“He obviously requested for some information… so we sent him the report. He looked at the report and said the ankle is not fit to tour. He said Australia is a tough place and that we cannot take players with injuries.”

Rickelton responded to that by telling him he was signed off by the surgeon and that he was due to play in the 4-day league and the entirety of the summer campaign.

“It was all a breakdown of communication between the player, the doctors and selectors. The selectors weren’t exactly sure what was going on and the communication between the doctors wasn’t as good as it should’ve been.

“Unfortunately I was left in the middle of it. It’s just one of those things I have to bear the brunt of – is that CSA’s selection policy is that they won’t take players on tour who aren’t 100 per cent fit.

“It was a tough one to swallow. I said to them I can run a full fitness test now and pass it comfortably.”

The team doctor had then suggested that they assess Rickelton’sinjury after his first 4-day game for the Lions due to hispredetermined “plan signed off by the surgeon”.

“But apparently that selection policy stood firm. That, I understand, is the reason why I’m not on the plane right now.”