A season that is fast disintegrating into absolute chaos at Newlands due to the on-going saga surrounding Cape Cobras coach Paul Adams has absorbed its first casualty. Allan Dawson has quit as Cape Cobras selection convenor with immediate effect.
Dawson, who only started his selection tenure at the beginning of the season, believes the situation at the Cobras has made his position untenable.
“I feel like no matter what team I select, it’s not going to make a difference. I don’t feel like I can make a contribution,” Dawson told Independent Media. “I used the saying yesterday to Nabeal Dien (Cobras chief executive) that I feel like an Elastoplaster on a boil, and that no matter what the plaster does, it still won’t cure the boil. It has to be cured from the inside. The time has come to make proper cricket calls. I can’t work in that environment.”
The issue surrounding Adams and the aggrieved Cobras players escalated last month when “frank views” were aired at the Council for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration. The CCMA recommended that an independent assessor be appointed into Adams’ role as head coach after several Cobras players, through the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA), took their grievances to the body after the Western Cape Cricket executive board failed to resolve long-standing issues.
This off-field drama has caused much upheaval on the field too with the Cobras languishing in last place on the Sunfoil Series log after four matches. They are the only team yet to win a match too at this stage of the competition. The margin of defeat has also been embarrassing with the latest loss being an innings and 50 runs to the Titans last weekend at Newlands.
To compound matters the Cobras have also had their captain Omphile Ramela suspended for this weekend’s clash against the Dolphins after he was found guilty of breaching the Cricket South Africa Code of Conduct.
The Cobras have since made a ring of changes for the Boland Park match with former South Africa U-19 all-rounder Dayaan Galiem being handed a franchise debut alongside his Western Province teammate Pieter Malan. Boland rookies Cebo Tshiki and Keegan Petersen has also been selected with Justin Ontong taking over the leadership in the absence of Ramela.
Dawson hoped the players, especially the youngsters, would be able to put aside the off-field issues and concentrate on their games, but believed this was not simply a case of changing the players with the results forthcoming.
“I’ve been involved for about two to three months and I’ve tried to find solutions and to ascertain where the real problem lies. I sought counsel from all over, current players, ex-players, administrators, selectors. Before I started I was told there were a few little issues between the players and the coach, but that was a lie,” Dawson said.
“I never applied for this job. I was asked to do it. And this has been the most difficult decision of my cricket career, even more so than retiring. The worst thing about all of this is, is that they are doing Paul an injustice. Paul is my mate, and it’s tough for me to see him go through this thing, but he needs to start listening to advice from the right people.”
*Cobras chief executive Nabeal Dien was unavailable for comment.
The Cape Cobras team for Boland Park
Justin Ontong (capt), Pieter Malan, Cebo Tshiki, Stiaan van Zyl, Jason Smith, Keegan Petersen, Aviwe Mgijima, Dayyaan Galiem, Zakhele Qwabe, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt.
Independent Media