Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada was South Africa’s lone representative in the International Cricket Council’s Test Team of the Year, announced earlier this week.

• The inaugural ICC Test Team of the Year, in 2004, hosted two Proteas – batsmen Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis.
• Kallis was joined by opener Graeme Smith in 2005‘s second edition.
• Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini was South Africa’s only player in the XI in 2006 and 2007.
• Smith and Kallis returned in 2008 – and were joined by fast bowler Dale Steyn.
• Batsman AB de Villiers made a maiden appearance in 2009, while Steyn welcomed a second time.
• Batsman Hashim Amla accompanied Kallis, De Villiers and Steyn in 2010 as the Proteas cherished four-way representation for the first time.
• The same four appeared in 2011.
• De Villiers was omitted from the XI for 2012, while all-rounder Vernon Philander was selected. De Villiers, though, was named 12th man.
• De Villiers effectively replaced Kallis, while Amla, Philander and Steyn were retained in 2013.
• Steyn and De Villiers were the only representatives in 2014 as the Proteas failed to have four players in the XI for the first time in five years.
• The first year South Africa went without even a single representative was 2015.
• Steyn was the only South African in 2016.
• Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, opener Dean Elgar and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada were selected for the XI in 2017.
• Rabada relished a second selection in 2018.

Photo: Gallo