England will play Test match cricket without a player born in southern Africa for the first time in 11 years this week.
From Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior, to Jonathan Trott and Nick Compton, the England Test XI has featured several South African-born cricketers over the past decade.
England’s decision to drop the Zimbabwean-born Gary Ballance for the third Ashes Test in Birmingham this week, indeed, has brought to an end a lengthy African influence that lasted 139 Tests.
The English have, of course, fielded other South African-born players in their ODI and T20I teams – like Michael Lumb, Craig Kieswetter, Jade Dernbach, Stuart Meaker and Jason Roy.