South Africa’s players, both men and women, have no indication of when they will return to play
South Africa’s players, including captains Quinton de Kock and Dane van Niekerk, have demanded the board to focus on how to keep cricket in the country strong, fearing that anything less would lead to “the game we love may be irreparably damaged in this country.”
A total of 30 cricketers, both men and women, were named in a statement sent out by the South African Cricketers’ Association on Tuesday. And they are worried “this may be the last chance we have to change direction and save the game. As Proteas we demand that all stakeholders heed our sincere plea.”
This comes on the heels of cricket in the country coming to a standstill because of Covid-19. CSA is also suffering from administrative problems that have already resulted in the departures of their president Chris Nenzani and CEO Thabang Moroe. There has also been an outpouring of stories from former players of colour about how they felt excluded and isolated while playing for South Africa, which has prompted the board to focus more sharply on transformation policy. Recently, CSA said it was considering reparations for those who felt discriminated against in the past.
“As Proteas players, both men and women, we are concerned about the future of our game,” the statement read. “At Board and Operational level, Cricket South Africa has lurched from crisis to crisis over the past year. 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.
ALSO READ: CSA will apply affirmative action while hiring consultants
“High standards are expected of us as players. To succeed as Proteas teams, we know we have to put aside personal differences and work together. We require the same of our administrators. 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 Proteas teams must be strong, the domestic structure must be strong, and the transformation pipeline must be strong – we demand that this be the focus of the CSA Board and Operational Team.”
The players who were listed in the SACA release were: Aiden Markram, Andile Phehlukwayo, Anrich Nortje, Ayabonga Khaka, Beuran Hendricks, Chloe Tryon, Dané van Niekerk, David Miller, Dean Elgar, Dwaine Pretorius, Faf du Plessis, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Lungi Ngidi, Marizanne Kapp, Masabatha Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nadine de Klerk, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Sune Luus, Tabraiz Shamzi, Temba Bavuma, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune
More to follow
Source: ESPN Crickinfo