Dan’s view

I believe that the return of Kolpak players to the South African cricket system will undoubtedly improve the performances of our national side, but probably not in the way some people believe.

Do I think that the majority of Kolpak players would walk into the national side in any of the three formats? No, I don’t.

In fact, I would almost go as far as saying that I believe our Test, ODI and T20 sides will remain largely unchanged should they return.

Having said that, it is my unpopular opinion that our local cricket does not prepare our players for the demands of international cricket sufficiently.

This is not a knock on the current players who work extremely hard, but rather an indication of the effect that a mass exodus of local players has had on South African cricket.

I believe that the return of Kolpak players will improve the performances of the national side.

Not necessary as the result of former Kolpak players returning to the national side directly, but rather by improving the quality of our local cricket which in turn will better prepare our local players for the demands of international cricket. 

Having said that, do I believe that the likes of Kyle Abbott, Duanne Olivier and Simon Harmer will be able to push for a place in the Test side?

Absolutely I do and the Proteas will undoubtedly benefit from having 6/7 ‘Test level’ bowlers who are available for selection compared to the 3/4 that we currently have.

Ravi’s view

Whether it was Hash resigning from his Test captaincy or Faf shoulder charging an obnoxious Aussie reporter, Proteas fans have become accustomed to drama off the field.

It was in the summer of January 2017. South Africa was playing against Sri Lanka at Newlands and there was drama which unfolded both on and off the field.

One of the most painstaking events was Kyle Abbott’s immediate departure from the Test team. Abbott, along with Rilee Rossouw at the time signed Kolpak deals with Hampshire.

What followed was an unprecedented mass exodus since the summer of 2017.

The predominant challenge with Kolpak players returning to the Test and ODI teams will hinder the existing pool of SA talent.

Currently, our Test bowling line up has an average age of 27 and has improved significantly with each match. Bringing on veterans will not only discourage our current line up but will also disrupt the momentum gained thus far by our “fearsome 5” (if you insist: Rabada, Ngidi, Nortje, Hendricks and Maharaj).

It’s not all bad though. I will forever remain a massive fan of Kyle Abbott. Abbott signaled his arrival in Test cricket with an impressive 7/29 against Pakistan in Centurion. Despite my reservations of Kolpak players returning to the national fold, he would play a vital role in getting SA back to winning ways. Just Kyle though, nobody else.

What are your thoughts Cricket Fanatics? Am I being harsh on the eventual return of our Kolpak cricketers? Or are we being progressive by omitting the Kolpak-ers (just made up this term) altogether? Sound off your comments below.