5 South African players who were unlucky not to have played more for their country

The 1948 national election saw the seeds of racial discrimination being sowed in the heartlands of South Africa. 22 years later, the country's fabric was irrevocably altered when both IOC and ICC spearheaded their expulsion from the sporting arena.

In March 1970, South Africa played their last Test match before being ousted from the international circuit for 21 long years. The Apartheid-enforced suspension meant that numerous world-class cricketers had to remain content by plying their trade at domestic level.

Here are five South African cricketers who can consider themselves deeply unlucky not to have represented their country on more occasions. Needless to say, the list is dominated by those iconic names whose careers overlapped with the nation's isolation. To ensure parity, a couple of other cases from more recent times have also been brought into the limelight.

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#5 Albie Morkel

Since making his ODI debut in 2004, Albie Morkel had to wait for five more years before the team management deemed him worthy of Test cricket. When the coveted moment came his way, he responded by procuring the prized scalp of Ricky Ponting. A blazing half-century, albeit against a tired Australian attack, further raised hope. However, the match remains the only Test appearance in his journey.

The presence of the iconic Jacques Kallis meant that the all-rounder spot was inevitably out of reach for any aspirant. If only he was born a decade later, Albie could have ended up playing plenty of Tests for his country. The 37-year old's first-class numbers make for fascinating reading. From 77 matches, the left-hander has scored 4117 runs at an average of 44.26 and picked 203 wickets at a strike-rate of 58.1.

#4 Brett Schultz

Schultz formed a fearsome proposition for opposition batsmen during his brief career

Traditionally, mostly pleasant weather, as well as the hard nature of pitches, have prevented South Africa from experiencing any shortage of world-class pacers at any point in time. As such, competition for slots have usually been intense.

When they emerged from sporting isolation in the early 1990s, the Proteas unleashed two intimidating fast bowlers against unsuspecting opposition batsmen. While Allan Donald went on to have a glorious career, Brett Schultz's was unfortunately cut short by persistent knee injuries. The left-arm speedster's ability to take the pitch out of the equation presented a hostile threat on diverse conditions.

Schultz's nine Test appearances were spread between 1992 and 1997. His ODI career lasted all of one match. Multiple knee surgeries and the emergence of the more accurate Shaun Pollock curtailed what could have otherwise been a riveting pursuit. He subsequently shifted attention to the lucrative world of finance.

#3 Graeme Pollock

Graeme Pollock scored as many as seven centuries from just 23 Tests

The Pollock family has produced three eminent international cricketers. Although the gifted seam bowling of Peter and then his son Shaun formed the fulcrum of successful South African lineups, there's no doubting that Graeme was the finest cricketer among the trio.

Extra Cover: Greatest South African Test XI of all time

Despite playing just 23 Tests, Graeme Pollock managed to leave an indelible legacy on South African cricket. 2256 runs at a remarkable average of 60.97 stand as vindication of his prowess. Were it not for his country's Apartheid-enforced expulsion, he could have matched the genius of fellow left-hander Sir Garry Sobers.

Graeme's astonishing 222 (in 1974) stood as the long-time benchmark for limited-overs batting until flatter surfaces and diminished bowling attacks ushered in the 21st century revolution. In another world, South Africa could have contested the final of the first two World Cups against Clive Lloyd's mighty West Indies.

#2 Mike Procter

Procter's astonishing success at Gloucestershire spawned the legend of 'Proctershire'

At a time when the County circuit was brimming with top-notch talent from all across the world, the sight of Mike Procter bustling into the wind was perhaps the most enduring part of the 1970s. Operating from a deceptive run-up, his unorthodox approach and whirlwind action created an inextricable illusion for even accomplished batsmen.

Procter's exploits at Gloucestershire turned him into an unforgettable cult hero. Overall, he played a whopping 401 first-class matches and collected 1417 wickets at an impressive average of 19.53. It remains one of cricket's biggest travesties that only 41 of those scalps came at the Test level.

Aside from his enviable skills with the ball, Procter's mixture of aggression and defence could also shift games from the lower middle-order. 21,936 first-class runs attest to his batting credentials. South Africa's sporting isolation obstructed him from joining the elite list of all-rounders in the international arena.

#1 Barry Richards

In a parallel universe, Barry Richards would have been the greatest batsman of all time

Those who have watched him play will avow that Barry Richards was in the uppermost echelon of batsmanship. Delectable natural timing helped him combat the hostility of myriad fast bowlers in cricket's gladiatorial era. However, his graceful technique against spin turned the right-hander into arguably the most complete batsman during the 1970s.

Owing to his country's unavoidable hiatus which pretty much coincided with the entirety of his halcyon days, Barry played just four Tests. All of those came in South Africa's phenomenal domination of the visiting Australian team in the 1970 series. His tally of 508 runs, containing two centuries and as many fifties, headlined a 4-0 rout of Bill Lawry's men.

339 first-class matches and 233 List-A games yielded 28,538 and 8506 runs respectively. Barry's stroke-play, filled with intent, endeared him to the spectators. In a utopian scenario, many more would have gotten the opportunity to witness his greatness at the international level.