The announcement is an embarrassing blow to the nation's attempts to redress the racial balance of white-dominated sports such as rugby and cricket. Police said the fast bowler would appear in court to face charges that he raped a 21-year-old student from East London after giving her a lift in his car.

The decision was announced by Les Roberts, the Eastern Cape director of public prosecutions, who issued an order for Ntini's name not to be released. He was identified by the East London newspaper, the Daily Dispatch, yesterday.

For weeks, the sports minister, Steve Tshwete, has been criticising South Africa's cricket and rugby selectors for choosing teams that are too ``lily-white''. Ntini, 21, was a trailblazer as the cricket team's first black African - as opposed to mixed-race ``Coloured''. He played in South Africa's tours to Australia and England last year. But he was dropped from the team that has beaten the West Indies in four Test matches during the current tour of South Africa.

Ali Bacher, the managing director of the United Cricket Board, declined to comment yesterday. When the allegations of rape surfaced last month, Mr Bacher said he believed Ntini had been ``framed''. He said: ``Even if he is charged, he will be available for selection because a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.''