Thirty senior South African cricketers have come forward to express concern about the direction of the game in the country.
On Tuesday the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) sent out a statement bearing the names of the 30 cricketers. The statement lamented the mismanagement which currently besets the game in the country, which has seen the CEO of Cricket South Africa (CSA), Thabang Moroe, given the chop, and the organisation’s AGM postponed.
The statement said: ‘Issues such as suspensions, dismissals, resignations, forensic audits, confidential leaks, litigation and financial mismanagement have dominated the cricket headlines. This is happening at a time when we are having challenging conversations about transformation, and in an environment where the financial viability of the game is under major threat. Politics and self-interest appear to trump cricket imperatives and good governance. Decisions must be made that are in the best interests of cricket, failing which the game we love may be irreparably damaged in this country.’
The signatories included the captain of the ODI and T20I sides, Quinton de Kock, as well as the captain of the women’s side, Dane van Niekerk.
Other players who put their name to the letter were former captain, Faf du Plessis, Kagiso Rabada, Temba Bavuma, and Proteas veterans David Miller and Dean Elgar.
This comes as CSA has announced that it will only appoint black consultants as a means of facilitating transformation.
The IRR has come out strongly against this and has committed to approaching the sport’s global governing body, the International Cricket Council, regarding the matter. The IRR has also pointed out how CSA has contravened the ICC’s own values and constitution. In its move to commit to appointing only black consultants, CSA has also contravened the ICC’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.