AB de Villiers regards the 2015 World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand as the greatest disappointment of his cricket career and believes there could have been other considerations in the selection of the XI that took the field for that match last March.The revelation that racial dynamics played a role in Vernon Philander being selected ahead of Kyle Abbott came in the aftermath of the tournament and was confirmed by CSA, who said transformation targets were part of pre-match discussions, but this is the first time any of the players involved in the match has spoken out.De Villers recollections of the events are published in his book, AB: The Autobiography, which launched in Johannesburg today. The penultimate chapter, called The Dream, goes in-depth into the 2015 World Cup - revealing that South Africa kept a collective diary in which players made daily entries, and reiterating de Villiers conviction that South Africa could lift the trophy.Despite two losses in the group stage, South Africa advanced to the semi-final after achieving their first-ever win in a World Cup knockout match when they beat Sri Lanka in the quarterfinal in Sydney. De Villiers wrote that it was generally assumed the same team would play against New Zealand.That team included three players of colour in Hashim Amla, JP Duminy and Imran Tahir. Throughout the tournament South Africa had played between three and five players of colour in their matches and had not received instruction on any specific number. At 5:30pm on the night before the semi-final, half an hour before South Africas team meeting, de Villiers got a call - he does not say from whom - to tell him that Philander had passed a fitness test earlier and would play instead of Abbott.While considering the reasons for the change in selection, de Villiers explains how he knew that an incumbent player who is injured will automatically go back into the team when he returned to fitness. Philander had spent some of the tournament on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, so if he was fully fit, it would be the norm to recall him. De Villiers also sensed the selectors thought Vernon would thrive in New Zealand conditions, given his ability to move the ball off the seam on tacky surfaces. All the same, it seemed to de Villiers that there could have been other considerations.In contemplating the possbility that there was a quota at play, de Villiers recalls the teams understanding of the situation at that stage. We had been assured that Cricket South Africa was the only national governing body in the country that had declined to set a target for the number of players of colour to be included in the national team but there was a delicate balance to be struck and it was generally understood that, as they chose the side, the national selectors would be conscious of providing opportunities for at least four players of colour.So what had happened? Had Vernon, who was officially classified as coloured, been selected ahead of Kyle, who was officially white, to ensure there were four players of colour in the semi-final? Or had the decision been made for purely cricketing reasons?De Villiers does not answer those questions himself. Instead, in the book, he details the effect it had on him.It depressed me to think of my team-mates in these outdated racial terms, he writes. Would anyone really mind if there were three or four players of colour in our side?At the team meeting, de Villiers did not address the issue either. He delivered a stirring speed using a line from a One Republic song to inspire the team: We owe it to each other to promise each other that with every broken bone were going to leave it out there tomorrow.That night, coach Russell Domingo sent de Villiers a text telling me how much the team needed my leadership and former coach Gary Kirsten also made contact, urging me to be calm and positive. De Villiers did not sleep well, admitted he was emotional and regarded the situation as unnecessary and unfair on everybody.His first thought in the morning was, I hope Vern will be OK, but he vowed not to overreact because I still dont know for certain what happened. De Villiers convinced himself to treat it as just another obstacle to be overcome.South Africa lost the match on the final ball and de Villiers blamed the defeat on their failure to take five clear opportunities ... three possible run-outs and two catches, and not on the selection saga. We didnt lose because of the decision to replace Kyle with Vernon, he writes.In the aftermath, de Villiers was devastated. He chided himself to lose properly even as he cried on the field and later in the change room when he saw his family.In broader terms, de Villiers is supportive of transformation. I was certainly not blind to the wider issues and I regard the process of transformation in South African cricket not as something imposed on the game but as something that was morally the right thing to do.He also maintains that winning an official World Cup with the South African team had become my burning ambition, which suggest he may play a fourth edition of the tournament, in 2019.De Villiers has already been part of three failed campaigns. He put South Africas semi-final loss in 2007 down to simply trying too hard. He does not offer many reasons for the 2011 loss to New Zealand but reveals that then-captain Graeme Smith warned them that, when they got home, daggers and stones will be thrown. Smith did not make the trip back with the team.De Villiers has also competed in six World T20s and captained in two. The 2016 one left its biggest mark on him. South Africa exited in the first round and de Villiers said there was nothing new to say and nothing new to think with regards to that, except that facing the media in such situations was no fun. It will never be much fun until a Proteas team finally goes out and wins one of these ICC limited-overs tournaments. That will happen one day. Bill Walton Jersey . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. Cheap Blazers Jerseys . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. http://www.cheapblazersjerseys.com/ . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Zach Collins Jersey . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. C.J. McCollum Jersey . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. (STATS) -- Despite an encouraging end to last season with the prospect of returning many veteran players this year, the Cornell football staff opened the offseason by posting a blank depth chart in the teams locker room.At Columbia, the coaching staff has been busy changing the approach of its players as much as making adjustments in the two-deep.Neither Ivy League program has enjoyed much recent success, but both began to see light on the horizon last season that perhaps this year they can slip through the door when nobodys looking.Not surprisingly on Tuesday, there was a far drop to last years two cellar-dwellers in the Ivy Leagues preseason poll, which was fronted by the three defending champions -- Harvard picked as the favorite with Penn second and Dartmouth third. Then it was Yale, Princeton and Brown before Columbia was picked seventh and Cornell eighth.Same ol, same ol in the Ancient Eight?Not necessarily.We think we will be much more competitive than weve been, said Columbia second-year coach Al Bagnoli, who previously won eight Ivy titles at Penn. We think were doing all the right things. We have kids who are buying in.Its just a matter of showing them, Cornell fourth-year coach David Archer said, that the difference on a Saturday afternoon isnt as big as they really think.Cornell and Columbia received a much-needed bump in publicity last week with their inclusion in the top 100 of a list ranking all-time college football programs. But when you factor in what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, your fathers Ivy League, even your older brothers, is not your great-grandfathers Ivy League.The two New York state rivals found a lot of their historical success before there even was an Ivy League. Columbias Ivy title in 1961 is the only one in program history, and the Lions havent had a winning season since 1996. Cornell has the second-fewest Ivy titles with three -- most recently in 1990 -- and the Big Red are seeking their first winning record since 2005.But being that its August, there is optimism. Maybe its not unfounded, either.Columbia (2-8, 1-6 Ivy) lost six times by eight points or less in Bagnolis first season in New York. Meanwhile, Cornell (1-9, 1-6) let three potential wins slip away, and after beating Columbia by a rather fitting 3-0 score, the Big Red were competitive in a season-ending loss at Penn.We had to have buy-in, wee had to have trust, in addition to us being able to evaluate our kids ability level of what they could and couldnt do, Bagnoli said.dddddddddddd. You fast-forward a year and I think weve tried to do a good job in addressing all those issues. I think theres been a change in the culture here. I think we have a little bit more confidence and a little bit more exuberance and a little bit more swagger than what we had when we took over the program.Were entering Monday (the opening of preseason camp) with 124 guys on roster, Archer said. Now league rules (say) you can only have 110 to camp, which is what well have. But having the ability to say to the guys in January, Hey, youre going to have to compete just to get a spot in camp, really drove up (competition). And we had our best offseason, best spring practice to date so far.For Columbia, its important for quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg, in his second year after transferring from Florida, to avoid similar injuries of a year ago. Five of last years six leading tacklers, including co-leaders linebacker Keith Brady and safety Christian Conway, return on defense.Up in Ithaca, Cornell brings back 15 starters, although it will have a change at quarterback if sophomore Dalton Banks unseats senior Robert Somborn. The Big Red feature one of the better defenders in the league in safety Nick Gesualdi and perhaps the best punter in the FCS in Chris Fraser.Neither team is ready to challenge for the league title considering more incremental steps are necessary. But the league could take on a different complexion after last years finish marked the first three-way share of the title since 1982. On graduation day, Penn lost 10 starters, Harvard saw 12 depart and Dartmouth lost 17.The trust testament is, who is the next man up? said Penn coach Ray Priore, who succeeded Bagnoli last season. The key to success … is dont forget how you won previous years.You just hope the kids develop and rise to the occasion, are opportunistic when given the opportunity to make their imprint in the program.---=IVY LEAGUE FOOTBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL=1. Harvard (7 first-place votes), 126 points2. Penn (9), 1193. Dartmouth, 834. Yale, 815. Princeton, 796. Brown (1), 617. Columbia, 438. Cornell, 20 Youth NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys 2020 Cheap NFL Gear Camo China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Cheap Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Online ' ' '