Makhaya Ntini will miss South Africa’s World Cup opener against The Netherlands after flying into the Caribbean on Wednesday, two days ahead of the match.
Ntini will train with South Africa on Thursday and should be ready for next Tuesday’s match against Scotland.
”We need to give him some time to find his feet,” South Africa captain Graeme Smith said. ”We wanted him to sort out his family business first; we don’t want him worrying about his wife and daughter. We wanted his mind fully focused and we feel he will have enough time to prepare before the game against Scotland.”
Ntini stayed in Africa for the birth of his second child and missed the warm-up matches.
It is little wonder that Smith is keen to protect Ntini.
Opening bowlers Shaun Pollock and Ntini have taken a combined 50 wickets in the first 20 overs of one-day matches since 2006 — more than any other combination in the world. — Sapa-AP