- Banned
- #1
The South African national team hasn't won a test since January, the standard of the domestic system in SA, once considered the second strongest behind Australia's has declined markedly recently.
Earlier this year the racial make up quotas for franchise teams in South Africa, the equivalent of our Sheffield Shield teams was amended to include 6 "people of colour", 3 of which have to be black Africans. The level below - provincial cricket must include 7 non whites and 4 black Africans.
The national team has to include 4 non whites, however I'm not sure how strongly this is enforced. It's worth noting that players like Tahir and Amla who are of Pakistani descent - a group that have no history of racial discrimination in SA, which is the supposed reason for the quotas, are included in this number.
Cricket in South Africa is predominantly a white sport, and the vast majority of the black population does not take an interest in it. So my question is whether these racial quotas are hindering the depth and future of the game in SA.
By forcing more talented white players, particularly younger players, to play below their level in inferior grades of cricket to allow sub standard non-white players to play first class cricket, how does this help either party? Exposing players who aren't ready to play First Class cricket to that level of opposition is a terrible way of developing them.
Of course it makes sense both commercially and for the future of the game amid demographic changes to try and promote cricket to the black majority, but the government and CSA would be better off investing more in school age programs and junior cricket to attract and develop black players from a young age, rather than preventing superior players from playing at the international or first class level because of racial quotas.
Of course this isn't saying non-white players of South African heritage (Blacks and Coloureds) shouldn't play first class or international cricket, there have been a number of quality players from these backgrounds such as Ntini, Philander, Duminy and Alviro Peterson, but I would much prefer future players of non-white backgrounds to have earnt their position based on ability rather than because of their skin colour. I strongly believe politics has no place in sport, and that includes racial quotas.
It's highly possible that the national team's current woes aren't just a bad patch of form, but the beginning of a long term decline.
Discuss
http://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica/content/story/855925.html
Earlier this year the racial make up quotas for franchise teams in South Africa, the equivalent of our Sheffield Shield teams was amended to include 6 "people of colour", 3 of which have to be black Africans. The level below - provincial cricket must include 7 non whites and 4 black Africans.
The national team has to include 4 non whites, however I'm not sure how strongly this is enforced. It's worth noting that players like Tahir and Amla who are of Pakistani descent - a group that have no history of racial discrimination in SA, which is the supposed reason for the quotas, are included in this number.
Cricket in South Africa is predominantly a white sport, and the vast majority of the black population does not take an interest in it. So my question is whether these racial quotas are hindering the depth and future of the game in SA.
By forcing more talented white players, particularly younger players, to play below their level in inferior grades of cricket to allow sub standard non-white players to play first class cricket, how does this help either party? Exposing players who aren't ready to play First Class cricket to that level of opposition is a terrible way of developing them.
Of course it makes sense both commercially and for the future of the game amid demographic changes to try and promote cricket to the black majority, but the government and CSA would be better off investing more in school age programs and junior cricket to attract and develop black players from a young age, rather than preventing superior players from playing at the international or first class level because of racial quotas.
Of course this isn't saying non-white players of South African heritage (Blacks and Coloureds) shouldn't play first class or international cricket, there have been a number of quality players from these backgrounds such as Ntini, Philander, Duminy and Alviro Peterson, but I would much prefer future players of non-white backgrounds to have earnt their position based on ability rather than because of their skin colour. I strongly believe politics has no place in sport, and that includes racial quotas.
It's highly possible that the national team's current woes aren't just a bad patch of form, but the beginning of a long term decline.
Discuss
http://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica/content/story/855925.html
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