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The whole Mickey Arthur and cricket selection panel firing has started up the argument of transformation in sport again.
Now I get very frustrated with this topic. Surely the numbers speak for themselves. How many Whites in SA? Blacks? Of the age appropriate to play provincial/national/international sport? According to STATS SA there are 23 868 700 males in South Africa. For the sake of solving one argument I will concentrate on the MALE population.
- African 18 901 000 79.2%
- Coloured 2 137 300 9.0%
- Indian/Asian 635 700 2.6%
- White 2 194 700 9.2%
Now how the hell is it possible that only 9.2% of the population can produce the majority of the players? Surely there must be a massive percentage of Black, Coloured and Indian/Asians that do NOT wanna play cricket? Not every White kid wants to play cricket either.
No matter how little “development” is put into those “minority players” surely the fact that the pool of population is so large you must have some decent players to choose from.
I ask you, do you know of one non-White player that has not been selected for a provincial or national team when he was the best player in his position? How many “development” players have been chosen for positions they should not have? This development argument is weak. The people in charge of sport are looking for scapegoats and often use people like coaches/captains and selectors to carry the blame.
7 Comments
I dont think that there is any easy answer to many of your questions Voted. The reality is though that cricket is still seen by many blacks (cant speak for the coloureds and indians) as the "white mans game". There is a social stigma attached to it. Most blacks are going to play soccer from a very early age at home and at school.
There is very little rural level cricket taking place when compared to soccer. Many also simply dont know or understand the game.
And also there's the lifestyle and image issues involved here. The kids look at soccer stars and want to emulate the rich and famous lives they have. Cricket stars are more subdued in public, not nearly as famous or wealthy, and just dont have the same "hip and trendy" feeling as the soccer players do.
I, and most of my (mainly black) friends, feel that national sports teams should be selected on basis of merit, skill, talent, ability. NOT on skin colour. If the national selection panel is basing its decisions on this approach, then they cannot be blamed for fielding a almost totally white team. The provinces, regions, schools need to start producing better black players. if they can't so be it.
No national side should not be held to ransom becuase of a lack of colour on the bench.
If you love the game of cricket, you will play it. If you are anygood you will continue playing it until someone finds you. Especially if you are black/non-white. Coaches and clubs must be falling over themselves to get development players into their teams.
national teams should be selected by public ballot!! Selectors put up a short list of 20 – 30 possibles and we voted the team. How about that for a plan?
VOTED! would always agree with that plan!
Haha! I see what you did there!
Like you never make a typo.
Now all that's missing from this embarrasing shambles – yes, I said SHAMBLES! – is for Julius Malema to announce his and the ANCYL's support of the dismissal of the obviously racist coach and selectors, and for a sex scandal or hermaphrodite revelation from inside of the team, and we will have come full circle!
I heared the sound byte with GS saying how he only ever supported the coach……
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