Cricket South Africa (CSA) succumbed to pressure from the government with the organisations board deciding to implement targets for its national teams.
Clearly stung by Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula’s punitive measures earlier this year - which saw Cricket SA and four other sports bodies banned from bidding to host international events - Cricket SA yesterday stated targets would be implemented at national level.
Previously national teams were not picked with targets in mind.
At senior provincial and franchise level a quota of black African players was stipulated at the start of last season. Starting teams had to include at least three black African players.
That decision created plenty of controversy and confusion for players, provincial administrators and coaches. Such was the anxiety among white and coloured players that there were rumours of matches being boycotted.
However CSA also faced pressure from Mbalula, who was outraged by what he felt was CSA failing to stick to agreements the organisation signed with the Ministry as part of the Transformation Charter.
Where CSA felt it had fulfilled those objectives because of the player targets implemented at provincial and franchise level, Mbalula wanted to see more chances made available at national level as well.
“In the past we had never set targets in our national teams but with changing circumstances we feel it is essential to move with the times,” Cricket SA’s president Chris Nenzan said in a statement yesterday.
The targets will not be implemented on a match-by-match basis said Nenzani, but rather will be measured over the course of a year. “The precise targets will depend on work to be undertaken by relevant committees t o determine what is realistic and sustainable. This will be announced in due course,” he added.
Cricket SA also announced that a new structure for the domestic game will be introduced next with the most significant move being a revamp of the local T20 competition.
Although details are still being thrashed out, CSA stated that the competition would likely take place over six weeks from late in November until the middle of December and would consist of eight teams.
Those sides are likely to take the form of city-based franchises - as is the case with Australia’s Big Bash tournament - with CSA hoping that regional rivalry will enhance the tournament’s popularity. The competition will be separate from the other franchise competitions, and will be owned by Cricket SA.
South African cricket has been left behind by the lucrative T20 leagues that have been established up in India, Australia and the Caribbean. With the England also still in the middle of thrashing out plans for its own domestic T20 league, Cricket SA needed to move fast to ensure a similar product was available for supporters here.
The remaining domestic competitions - at senior professional level - will also be restructured with a number of proposals being considered by the Board. They include an eight team franchise system or a return to a 12-team provincial structure as was the case over a decade ago. – The Star