Zulu sues UCB for ignoring him

The 31-year-old cricketer claimed the UCB had told him he was being “rested” for the tour to Bangladesh and was promised a contract in time for South Africa’s Test series against England.

Klusener is now claiming for loss of earnings as he did not seek any county contracts under the impression he would be re-employed by South Africa only to find himself omitted from the squad.

Klusener’s agent, Andrew Shedlock, said: ‘‘Although Lance just wants to play for South Africa again, he is also looking for compensation.’’

Shedlock said his omission did not have anything to do with cricketing reasons.

‘‘Lance has been South Africa’s best one-day cricketer since the 1999 World Cup, so he couldn’t have been dropped for cricketing reasons. Your guess is as good as mine as to what the real reasons are.’’

‘‘But both the convenor of selectors, Omar Henry, who told him personally, and selector Hugh Page, on a television magazine show, said Lance was just being rested for the Bangladesh trip, so he was given expectations.’’

‘‘To then just dump him was a terrible thing to do and, even if it was because of what he’s supposedly like in the dressing room, why didn’t he have a disciplinary hearing?’’ Shedlock said.

Skipper Graeme Smith, who took over the reins of the team from Shaun Pollock after the World Cup, had said Klusener was a bad influence on other team members in the dressing room.

A spokesman for the UCB said: ‘‘We are aware of the action Lance Klusener is taking but we have been advised by our lawyers to make no comment on the matter.’’