Cullinan wants to return
Fakir Hassen
Daryll Cullinan could be back in the South African cricket squad by the time India and Australia tour at the start
of the new season in October.
Cullinan's return will depend on how quickly his knee injury
heals, and both he and the United Cricket Board of South Africa are not
looking at him touring with the national team when they go to Zimbabwe to
start the new season.
Cullinan is currently playing for the English county side Kent,
and his contract with the UCBSA was not renewed after he was uncertain
about whether he would be with them for a year or two.
Injury, however, has led to him hardly turning out for Kent at all, and he
has been released from his contract with Kent by mutual agreement.
He has been serving Kent mainly as coach.
UCBSA chief executive Gerald Majola confirmed that Cullinan had
called him to enquire whether there was room for him to negotiate for a
return to his position.
"I was delighted to get a call from Daryll and assured
him that the door had never been closed on him because of his contract with
Kent," Majola said.
He said that he and Cullinan would meet soon to discuss his future
and determine whether he wants to play Test, one-day only or both
types of games.
Cullinan was named the best batsman during the tour to the West
Indies a few months ago, where South Africa trounced the home side in both a
one-day and a Test series.
Cricket commentators in South Africa are of the view that Cullinan's return
augers well for the South Africans.
Graeme Pollock believed that a South African team without Cullinan
would have left the team vulnerable in the middle batting order.
Indo-Asian News Service
