CSA boss says Mike Horn 'not best' in English

Amidst a controversy over claims of political interference in the selection of Vernon Philander in the World Cup semifinal match against New Zealand, Haroon Lorgat, Cricket South Africa CEO, said that Mike Horn may have been misquoted due to his poor command of English language.

Horn, who was the motivational speaker to help South Africa at the World Cup, said last week that there was political interference, and later claimed that his comments were taken completely out of context.

Reports had recently indicated that Lorgat had told Domingo via SMS to pick an extra player of colour in the team before the semifinal in Auckland. However, CSA and Lorgat strongly denied the claims.

Reacting to Horn's comment, Lorgat said that he hadn't spoken to Horn, adding that the world-renowned adventurer was not the best in English and had been put on a spot that he should not have been put, Sport24 reported.

Philander, who struggled with injury throughout the tournament, was picked at the expense of an in-form Kyle Abbott which ensured the Proteas had four players of colour in their team on the day.

Earlier in the week, CSA said in a statement that Philander had undergone a successful fitness test, and was declared fit and available for selection by the medical team.