Black sportsmen face more challenges than just the colour of their skin, the DA’s spokesman on sport, Solly Malatsi, has said.
The Cape Argus yesterday reported that a group calling itself Black Cricketers in Unity had sent a letter to the management of Cricket South Africa (CSA) calling for a debate on transformation and asking selectors not to pick black players just to make up the numbers.
“There’s a difference between selection and playing time,” Malatsi said. “You as a player can only grow when you compete. And I understand that a guy is included in the squad and not played because he needs to be assimilated, and learn the team culture and the ethos of the team, but a black player’s selection under those terms is not a tangible result.”
Yesterday, CSA issued a statement in response to the media reports around the letter. Chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: “It is disappointing when a letter of this nature finds its way into the media because we do not solve such issues in the media.
“Matters of this nature need to be dealt with responsibly by all the affected parties before a full and accurate report can be presented to the public.”
However, Malatsi said there could not be smoke without a fire, and the group of players would not feel it necessary to write to the management of CSA if they felt their voices would be heard.
“It shows a lack of faith in the structures, the players obviously feel they can’t speak up. This kind of institutional bullying must end,” he said.
The Cape Argus understands the players in the Black Cricketers in Unity group have been gagged by their franchises and have refused to speak to media, until such time as they had met with CSA.
Malatsi said they should feel free to express themselves.
“Sending out a statement like that, and silencing the players, it takes the fire away from them. Now the momentum is gone. By the time they meet, the governing body now has the power.”
CSA held a transformation indaba in 2013 where it was agreed upon to further the “Africanisation” of cricket.
In the statement sent out yesterday, CSA “reiterates its sincere commitment to transformation and its stance to adopt aggressive policies in order to reach its transformation goals”.
However, while the Eminent Persons group was established in 2012 to address transformation – the targets of which were signed by major sports governing bodies in the country in May – Malatsi said the players needed to be involved in the process.
“Yes, CSA has a transformation team, and you have this Eminent Persons group that (Sports Minister) Fikilie (Mbalula) has, but where is the player representation? You’re taking about the future of these black players, but the players themselves aren’t being consulted.”
Lorgat lauded the goals achieved at franchise level, where teams are required to have at least six black African players in their ranks with at least three in the starting XI.
“It is heartening to note the transformation progress we have made over the past two years and we will not rest until we reach all our goals including our national teams representing all the people of our country,” he said. - Cape Argus