Columnist says criticism of Tony de Zorzi is turning into abuse

Proteas batter Tony de Zorzi is again the focus of harsh social media commentary, and an opinion piece by Zaahier Adams on IOL says the tone of some of it has gone well beyond fair criticism. The column compares his situation with the abuse Temba Bavuma has faced for years.

The selection debate

The latest wave of comment follows De Zorzi’s selection for the Bangladesh Test series. According to IOL, he sat out the recent series against Australia because of injury. It adds that his Test average this year is just under 40, and that his career-best 177 came in his previous Test appearance against Bangladesh.

Adams writes that he was surprised to see Western Province teammate David Bedingham left out, given that Bedingham had been given a new role at number three against Australia. He admits that Bedingham’s dismissals at Newlands were disappointing, but suggests he might still have grown into the job. The columnist also questions whether Matthew Breetzke had done enough to keep his place in the middle order after joining the squad during the Australian series, apart from a second-innings 43 in Cape Town.

Adams calls this a fair selection debate. His objection is to disagreement that turns into personal attacks on the player who was picked.

Comparison with Bavuma

The column argues that De Zorzi’s treatment recalls what Bavuma went through early in his international career. Adams says Bavuma’s failures regularly prompted questions about his place and revived the transformation debate, often with clear racial undertones. He notes that both men are among the country’s leading Black African batters and says that cannot be dismissed as coincidence.

Adams points to Bavuma’s remarks to the BBC in 2025, when he said he wanted to understand “why it becomes a lot more viral when it’s just me”. The columnist also notes that Bavuma, the first Black African Test centurion for South Africa and captain of the side that won the World Test Championship, has not escaped his critics.

De Zorzi’s record

The column highlights De Zorzi’s domestic record. He averaged above 48 in three of the four seasons before his first Test call-up, and his unbeaten 304 is the highest individual first-class score at Newlands. Adams adds that De Zorzi captained South Africa’s Under-19 side at the 2016 World Cup, where he also met criticism and abuse, which the column says contributed to his reluctance to speak to the media.

Adams stresses that players are open to scrutiny and that supporters are entitled to question selections and demand better results. His argument is that holding players accountable is different from humiliating them or targeting them on racial grounds.

This is an opinion column, and the views above are the writer’s own rather than established findings.

This story is based on reporting by IOL.