Whilst I cannot disagree, it was a decision taken on grounds of encouraging blacks to take up the sport - to give them a 'hero figure', if you like. It's a bit of 'reverse racism', maybe.Rik said:Didn't SA play a "coloured" player because of an order by the SA Prime Minister? Maybe it was, or maybe it was just another high ranking board member?
Well when they pick Justin Ontong in the place of Jaques Rudolf then something must be up :rolleyes:luckyeddie said:Whilst I cannot disagree, it was a decision taken on grounds of encouraging blacks to take up the sport - to give them a 'hero figure', if you like. It's a bit of 'reverse racism', maybe.
Whilst I can't say I wholeheartedly agree with the method, I cannot condemn the sentiment behind it.
Sharp intake of breath. If South Africa suddenly fast-tracked 6 or 7 lesser quality players into the side purely on colour, I would accept your point 100%.Rik said:
I just wish they would pick players on ability, in trying to make up for a rather bad part of their history they are being rascist again, and so far they have suffered for it when they play top class opposition.
Yeah fair enough, but Ontong just was not worthy of a Test place. Yes black players should be picked and encouraged but they really need to be of the right quality, Ashwell Prince looked like he could do a job but then he just lost it. The major problem I have is with the quotas, cricket should be open for all, and the colour of your skin should have nothing to do with your selection. Yes by all means attract them to play but don't just shove them in a team because they don't have white skin...pick them if they are good enoughluckyeddie said:Sharp intake of breath. If South Africa suddenly fast-tracked 6 or 7 lesser quality players into the side purely on colour, I would accept your point 100%.
The majority of the present side had an 'advantageous' upbringing. Remember that cricket clubs were no-go areas for blacks and coloureds until the 1990's, who played their cricket on matting pitches.
The current policy is one designed to bring players in at the grass roots of the game. An all-white team (although one which could bring short-term success) will further convince the youngsters that it is not 'their' game and there's a danger that they will just take up soccer.
If blacks are not encouraged to play the game, then cricket has no future in South Africa. If that's how they (the authorities) choose to encourage further participation, well, it's worth a try.
Perhaps it's a case of trying to undo history?Langeveldt said:South Africa press for mixing cultures in every field imaginable...I have heard of people being told not to bother even going to a job interview because they are white, and there are not enough coloured people in the profession..Its a fact of life that in SA, you will have to make way for a non white person with less skill...That must be how guys like Jacques Rudolph and Martin Van Jaarsveld feel right now...
As for SA being the "rainbow nation", thats just a pack of lies designed to bring more tourists into the country...
luckyeddie said:Perhaps it's a case of trying to undo history?
The players you mentioned all had a chance to play cricket as they grew up. A lot of South Africans didn't.Rik said:
South Africa will allways be in a mess until they let both races play alongside each other fairly, look at England, do we have quotas? No, but we have many "coloured" players like Mark Butcher, Alex Tudor, Hussain even. England mix cultures and are better for it. I hope South Africa stop trying so hard to make it up, they are doing the usual over-compensating.