The Future of South African Cricket...

[Streeky242]

I realise that you should not believe everything you read but I have read a comment from Gerald Majola, UCB Chief Executive, in which he says,
" South Africa does not have quotas, has never had quotas, we have targets. In ten years time the majority of this team will be black, that is our target "
From my knowledge & experience of cricket in S.A. the only black player I can think of who has cemented his place in the Test team during the past ten years is M.Ntini.
Kevin Pietersen it has been reported moved to England because he felt he did not get the chance, blaming quotas.
Surely South Africa's target is to be the best in ten years time. Does it really matter if the team consists of Blacks, Asians, Whites or Leprachauns...
Are Gerald Majola's comments wishful thinking, is he sending out the right message or is he causing trouble for the future ?

[Paoli]

This is blatant racism in my eyes. It is fair enough to promote the game to the majority race but in a country where the population is some 50-60 million, there are 15% whites which is almost 10 million, To think that in 10 years time, Smith and DeVilliers will not be there is loudoucris. Absolute garbage from Majola. The best side should always be picked

[John]

Palio69,
The way of getting the best in the future is to some sort of quota policy now. Because to involve as much of the SA population in cricket is a priority. And one of the ways of doing this is to promote one or two black players.
Pietesens objection isn't just against the quota system it is against the whole direction SA has been moving. He doesn' t like the place it has become. He would proably like the quota system of the old days.

[Seamer]

The white players will be gone in ten years for sure. They will go and play for the white countries. Same with Zimbabwae. Look at England for example. There two best batsmen at the moment are Sth Africans that have fled the country. (Strauss, Pieterson) Just a sign of things to come.

[Occasional Fan]

Seamer, this is something which can quickly get very political and highly charged. All I want to say on the subject is that I really hope you are wrong. Just as Europe has room for people of all races and creeds, so does Africa. To see Africans being forced out of their continent purely because they have a different skin colour from the majority is just dreadful. It's happening in Zimbabwe for sure, and the country is an economic basket case. It's not happening right now in South Africa. I pray that it won't.

[John]

Nobody knows what will happen in the future. But we can look to the past and say that the quota system has not been implemeneted. SA by and large have put out their best team (and to be frank it hasn't always performed that well).
Now I think SA cricket has a unique oppotunity to spread the game to a larger community and one of the means of doing this is to have some sort of quota system to show that we are really serious about this that we want to spread the game to all parts.
The quota system should be part of a strategy in spreading cricket.
Now if you look to England who are selling all their matches to Sky this is opposite negative not spreading the game but taking away from the general public.

[Paoli]

Originally Posted by Seamer

The white players will be gone in ten years for sure. They will go and play for the white countries. Same with Zimbabwae. Look at England for example. There two best batsmen at the moment are Sth Africans that have fled the country. (Strauss, Pieterson) Just a sign of things to come.

Along with OF i hope this is nothing but garbage.

South Africa can make a multi-racial society work. Majola's comments were unfair and if the majority of the side is Black on non-merit that is unfair. Imagine how shattering this news would be to the white players in the South African U/14 or U/16 sides...

[Zainub]

Originally Posted by Seamer

Look at England for example. There two best batsmen at the moment are Sth Africans that have fled the country. (Strauss, Pieterson) Just a sign of things to come.

Strauss didn't flee SA, if I'm not wrong he's lived the greater part of his life in the UK, he left SA with his parents when he was about 3 I think.

[John]

Quota systems are not necessarily a black/ white thing. Most blacks are diisadvantaged in SA they make up the vast majority of the poor. So it not just a black/white thing.
If SA cricket is clever it will tap into the black majority population and as I have said before a certain quota of black players at the moment wouldn't be a bad idea.
Cambridge and Oxford universities are being asked to put aside a certain number of places for people from disadvantged backrounds is that such a bad thing?

[Paoli]

Understood. But like the RSA cricket team, Oxfords places should be on merit.