Linda Zondi called up Reeza Hendricks to cheer him up

South Africa selection convenor Linda Zondi said that he called Reeza Hendricks, who did not find a spot in the recently announced World Cup squad, to explain the decision and to assure that he still had several years left to play.

"I phoned Reeza after the announcement ... he was very disappointed. I explained our thought process to him. I had to explain how we came to our decision. I told him that it is not the end and he is still going to play for South Africa for another few more years," Sport24 quoted Zondi as saying.

Zondi also emphasised that Hendricks averaged only 25 while Markram averaged 41 which contributed in the omission of the former.

"Selection is not only about stats, but you also need to be factual when it comes to stats. It was a tough one. We had to decide between him and Markram and see where they were," Zondi said.

"When you look at the collective from Zimbabwe right through, Reeza averaged 25 and Markram averaged 41. It was a collective decision. We sent Markram back to his franchise and he averaged 108," he added.

Zondi said that Hendricks was sad but he wished his side well.

South Africa will face England in the opening match of the World Cup on May 30.