South Africa cricket

'There are no hard feelings' - Rudolph

Cricinfo staff

July 19, 2008

	Jacques Rudolph has had a successful stint with Yorkshire © Getty Images

When South Africa last toured England in 2003, left-hand batsman Jacques Rudolph played all five Tests. Five years later, Rudolph is not with the visiting South African side, but in the middle of a Kolpak contract with Yorkshire, which will keep him at the county till 2011.

Rudolph signed an initial three-year deal with Yorkshire in January 2007, effectively cutting short his international career with South Africa at the age of 25. Rudolph's first-class average with Yorkshire is 58.38 - in contrast to his 36.21 in 35 Tests - and he is not unhappy with his decision to leave.

"I've got no regrets," Rudolph told the Yorkshire Post. "There are no hard feelings." Although he had made his way to the South African squad in the 2001 home series against India, Rudolph made his Test debut over 15 months later in Bangladesh. The proposed third Test in Centurion against India was deemed unofficial after the Mike Denness episode, and later in Sydney, he was controversially omitted in favour of Justin Ontong, a Cape Coloured, after Cricket South Africa president Percy Sonn vetoed his selection on grounds of racial discrimination.

Rudolph, though, started his Test career with an unbeaten 222 against Bangladesh in April 2003. However, he wasn't able to firm a place and was dropped from the XI during the home series against India in December 2006. "At that stage of my career, I felt I needed stability and security," Rudolph said. "I was in and out of the South Africa side and it was creating a lot of stress for me and my family." Rudolph played his last Test, against Sri Lanka, in that year.

"For that reason, I signed for Yorkshire. It was a great opportunity and I think I'm in a much better position at the moment."

Rudolph didn't rule out returning to South Africa. "Will I play for South Africa again? There's a possibility," he said. "I've got three more seasons on my Yorkshire contract after this one and after that, I could qualify for England. I'll make a decision on that if and when I get there. At the moment, I'm just enjoying my Yorkshire career." Rudolph could also qualify to play for England under residency rules by 2012.

Rudolph was not surprised by the manner in which South Africa's batsmen saved the Lord's Test after following on. "You can't take anything away from South Africa's batting," he said. "I still take an interest in this series, of course I do. I'm friendly with some of the younger guys in the team."

Left-arm spinner Paul Harris, in his diary on Cricinfo, had mentioned he would speak to Rudolph about the conditions at Headingley, home to Yorkshire. "A little bit of me wants South Africa to win," Rudolph said. "I played for them for so many years, and you don't just change overnight."

Rudolph expects South Africa to come back strongly after the Lord's performance. "England will take a lot out of the first Test - a lot of people expected South Africa to roll them over. This will be a wake-up call for South Africa and I think they will hit the ground better at Headingley.

"They are renowned for their character and their ability to fight back, and they showed that at Lord's in the second innings.

"We haven't seen the best of the South African attack. Dale Steyn has had an unbelievable couple of years. I think Headingley will suit them better than Lord's, and Morne Morkel should be able to give them some insight from his time at Yorkshire."

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Players/Umpires

Jacques Rudolph

Teams

England

South Africa

Yorkshire