It's just not cricket...

Johannesburg - Convenor of selectors Andrew Hudson had to explain himself to the board of Cricket South Africa (CSA) here on Wednesday and left with a clearer understanding of his transformation duties, according to acting president Willie Basson.

Hudson and his fellow selectors had been criticised for their handling of wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile, who was given a national contract last year and was assured he would be given an opportunity in the Test side during the current series against New Zealand.

Instead, Tsolekile was dropped from the squad, having not been given an opportunity to play a single Test on tours of England and Australia, with key batsman AB de Villiers being entrusted with the gloves as the current successor to Mark Boucher.

"Andrew Hudson was invited to address us and he explained the selectors' thinking in detail," Basson said.

"After a long and intensive debate, he left more enlightened and informed about what is required from the selectors in terms of transformation. He has been sensitised to make sure the selectors deal with transformation in the most appropriate way in future."

Basson confirmed that a mandatory number of black African players was being considered by CSA for franchise and national teams.

"The target at the moment is four blacks for franchise and national teams, but a stipulation for black Africans will be coming as part of the strategy of the transformation committee," Basson said.

Basson acknowledged that more needed to be done at the higher levels of cricket in terms of transformation, but he said this had to be part of "a natural, bottom-upwards process".

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Tsolokile just not good enough imo - how he made the test squad in the first place is what should be investigated :

Exactly Frodo, a test keeper needs at minimum to occupy the 7 slot in the batting order. He is not good enough with the bat at that level.

I'm just sick and tired of colour being used in this country, we all South Africans surely if you good enough you will be selected no matter if you green, light green or dark green...

You aren't going to get anywhere denying its going to happen I'm afraid guys. There is a suggested heavy streak in that article of Hudson not having a choice in the matter, not liking it one little bit but probably given an ultimatum of do it or go. I really thought SA had gone past this ridiculous and quite frankly, childish stance. The fact is, and it applies worldwide, the better the SA team, the more people are likely to get interested and play, whatever their colour, ethnic origin etc. Unless of course they see white South Africans as not being South African at all :S Is there a rule in Bafana Bafana that their must be a minimum of 4 whites, pinks, purples etc? It is short-sighted and imho shows how much idiocy still reigns in the minds of those in power... even more sadly, they don't really need to d1ck about with sport anymore to demonstrate the fact.

I thought a year or two ago a statement had been made that quotas were no longer required. Here we go .. we would have been top of the world for a sustained period if Jake White had stayed on and just as we look to have a dominant cricket team along they come to compromise it again.

When it comes to our national soccer team, there's not a lot of pressure from whites to get into it. It's had every possible coach, facility and program thrown at it, along with a truckload of money, and still can't get anywhere. Who wants to be part of such a setup?

Englander is right about how our government wants a black presence in a (successful) cricket side. They are desperate for street-cred, and (successful) sport is one way they can get it. They haven't heard the old story about killing the goose that lays golden eggs. All they can see is the eggs, and they want them.

The ones I feel desperately sorry for are our coloured cricket players, and coloureds generally. The message they - all coloureds - will take away from this incident is, "You don't belong, you aren't black enough, you don't count". They had a rough time when whites were in power and now that blacks are in power its a repeat of the same nasty tune. No-one wants them; they don't belong anywhere.

Now when Tsolikile is selected, everyone will know it's not on Merit (td)

So in another 10/20 years will we still be using transformation as a " selection" criteria?Let's play the best player whether purple ,green or pink.....and please let's not cater for mediocrity.....the Best 11 play in our national side......push transformation harder if need be at school level and the "darker cream" will rise to the top and those are the guys who make national side......Thani T is not up to test level,plain and simple.

Just a thought , it is said that not enough black cricketers are coming through to top level and if there were some that were able to make it on merit alone, i am sure that everyone would stand behind them 100% as when SA wins in any sport code we all enjoy the victories . Why then dont the selectors and CSA decide on a 13 man squad ( all Black players ) who in thier opinion could make it into the national Squad and arrange with the ICC to allow them to tour as SA "A" team taking on first the so called Minnows and then the top flight teams. After a year or 2 of this surely the talent that is available and can be utilised will be there for all to see. There can then be no arguments from the detractors from either side

monty Wrote:

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> Just a thought , it is said that not enough black
> cricketers are coming through to top level and if
> there were some that were able to make it on merit
> alone, i am sure that everyone would stand behind
> them 100% as when SA wins in any sport code we all
> enjoy the victories . Why then dont the selectors
> and CSA decide on a 13 man squad ( all Black
> players ) who in thier opinion could make it into
> the national Squad and arrange with the ICC to
> allow them to tour as SA "A" team taking on first
> the so called Minnows and then the top flight
> teams. After a year or 2 of this surely the talent
> that is available and can be utilised will be
> there for all to see. There can then be no
> arguments from the detractors from either side

What a great idea Monty....(tu)

The problem with that is time - where do you slot in these games between the Currie Cup (is is still called that?) the one-dayers, the T20's, not to mention the games played by the Proteas ?