At a media briefing on Tuesday, Claude Henderson announced in Cape Town that he would be severing all ties with the South African team after the Supersport series final to be played at Newlands, starting on Wednesday, to pursue his cricket career in England.
Henderson said: ”I have decided on this course of action because it is clear to me that I have no future role to play at national level, when one considers the selection of the national panel.”
Henderson said he was honoured to represent his country in seven Test matches and four one-day internationals, and thanked Boland and Western Province cricket for the role the two provinces had played in his career.
”I will miss South African cricket, but life is about the future,” he said.
Arthur Turner, CEO of Western Province Cricket, paid tribute to Henderson for the contribution he had made to Western Province over the past six seasons.
During this period, Western Province had played in four Supersport finals, winning two, and two Standard Bank Cup Finals, winning the Newlands final in 2003.
Turner said although he was disappointed that Henderson would no longer be available, Turner appreciated his feelings of frustration on being continually overlooked in spite of his outstanding performances.
Turner said that the cricketing public would judge the selection panel on the loss of one of South Africa’s cricketing assets in an area where the cupboard was bare. — Sapa