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Ntini was left out of the side in Melbourne to make room for veteran Allan Donald, leaving batsman Herschelle Gibbs as the sole non-white player in the final eleven.

The fast bowler had only taken 11 wickets in his nine previous Tests, but Graham Abrahams, a Ministry spokesman, has reminded the tour selectors of the need for "fairness".

He told the Johannesburg-based Star newspaper: "If the selectors feel that any player is not performing to his full potential, then it is their right to drop him, and we will not interfere with that.

"But what we are saying is that there should be fairness and equal opportunity, irrespective of who the player is."

Abrahams suggested that the form of all-rounder Lance Klusener - 18 wickets in 15 Tests and averaging only 24.89 with the bat since the beginning of last year - had been equally unimpressive.

And he also questioned the inclusion of Donald when there is "no 100 per cent certainty about his fitness".

There was an outcry earlier this year when Ntini was dropped from the team during a tour to the West Indies.

At the time, Sports Minister MgConde Balfour told parliament that he would have to consider introducing legislation to prevent certain sports bodies from "sticking to the minimum quota."

But although at least three non-white players must be included in all teams in South African provincial cricket, there is no formal quota system in place governing selection of the national team.

The subject was the focus of media attention at the start of the current tour, prompting Balfour to deny making any attempt to put pressure on the selectors.

"What I have said is 'Be fair on potential players'. Players should be picked on merit only," he commented.