Cricket South Africa (CSA) has been bashed for not meeting its “transformational goals,” as only one black African player, Kagiso Rabada, has been selected for the T20 World Cup squad.
The provisional 15-man squad has six players of color, with Rabada among them. According to CSA’s policy, the South African playing eleven over a season should include six players of color, with at least two from the black African community. As Rabada is the only black African player in the squad, it’s doubtful that the national team will meet this target.
The rest of the players of color in the squad are Reeza Hendricks, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Ottniel Baartman. Lungi Ngidi, another black African player, is among the traveling reserves but is not included in the main squad. Additionally, ODI captain Temba Bavuma was not chosen for the World Cup, which is scheduled to commence on June 2 in the USA and the West Indies.
Former South Africa Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula raised concerns about the squad selection, stating that having only one black African player does not adequately represent all South Africans in the World Cup squad.
“Only one African player selected in the Proteas Team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. This is a reversal of the gains of transformation and does not reflect fair representation of all South Africans in the national cricket team,” Mbalula wrote on X.
Former CSA and ICC president Ray Mali expressed concerns, stating that there are worries about the decline of the game in South Africa.
“I believe a lot has been achieved, but we have taken a step backward in terms of cricket – we are not progressing,” Mali told SABC Sport.
“I cannot understand why we can’t have a larger number of black players in the South African cricket team at this day and age – it is not acceptable. We have betrayed the people who asked us to negotiate unity for this country. Players are mentored and monitored from their early days to the top, so you know which players will represent South Africa.”
