Arendse denies influencing Kallis's omission

Norman Arendse, the Cricket South Africa president, has denied reports that he played a part in Jacques Kallis's omission in the Twenty20 squad for the world championship next month as well as the three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe.

The selection committee, headed by Joubert Strydom, picked similar squads and Kallis was left out of both, prompting him to quit as vice-captain and contemplate his future. The board later asked him to reconsider his decision.

"It's rubbish," Arendse told Supercricket. "Joubert Strydom sent the team to me and I approved it. Last week the newspapers said I had omitted Andrew Hall; now it's Kallis."

The first of three ODIs begins in Bulawayo on August 22 and Arendse outlined the reasons for the omission of Kallis. "The selectors and team management said long ago that the tour would be used as a warm-up for the Twenty20 tournament," he said. "Jacques is not in the Twenty20 team and therefore not in the side for the Zimbabwean tour."

Mark Boucher, part of the Twenty20 squad, landed in trouble with the South African board for openly backing Kallis's decision to quit and was called for a disciplinary hearing. When asked about Boucher's exclusion for the Zimbabwe ODIs, Arendse said, "It has nothing to do with a disciplinary hearing." AB de Villiers will take over as wicketkeeper in Boucher's absence.

Kallis meanwhile was non-committal on his future saying only that he would discuss it with his agent. The South African board insisted that Kallis was very much a part of their plans for forthcoming Tests and one-dayers.

"Yes, I'm thinking about my future," Kallis said. "There are a few offers on the table," he added, without specifying further.