Cricket SA not sure when the need for racial targets will end

Cricket South Africa (CSA) can’t say when racial targets for domestic teams will end, or if it will change the transformation policy. 

The Eastern Province Warriors were sanctioned last weekend for failing to adhere to CSA’s transformation policy regarding the number of black African players that must be selected in the starting teams in domestic competitions.

The policy has been in place for 10 years.

“The monitoring and evaluations of the improvements in the system year-to-year will guide the cricket ecosystem in arriving at such a decision,” said CSA’s executive responsible for the domestic game, Eddie Khoza. “We can’t put a time frame to the objective.”

The policy, breached by the Warriors in their February 16 One-Day Cup clash with the Dolphins, stipulates teams should comprise six generic black players, three of whom must be black African. Eastern Province cricket was docked the points gained for winning the match and fined R500,000, half of which was suspended for five years. 

As a result they lost the chance to play in the knockouts of the One-Day Cup.

The stipulation, contained in CSA’s administrative conditions, was mandated in 2013 after the transformation indaba. At the time the figures were five generic black players, two of whom had to be black African. The figures were increased to the current stipulation two years later.

Though Khoza said the system is monitored annually, an assessment of whether it should be reviewed hasn't occurred in seven years. Provincial targets differ from the Proteas targets in how they are assessed. While for provincial teams it is done on a match-by-match basis, for the Proteas, targets are measured over the course of a season.

“Management offered this alternative to the head coaches in 2018 and it was rejected at the time,” Khoza said.

The domestic system and the coaches involved have changed drastically in that period. Most notably, in 2018, local cricket still had the six-team franchise system in place. The system now is made up of 15 provincial unions, split into two divisions. 

Of the six head coaches of franchises in 2018, three are still working in the system - Enoch Nkwe (Lions) is CSA’s director of national teams, Malibongwe Maketa (Warriors) is SA U-19 men’s coach and Ashwell Prince (Cape Cobras) is the Proteas Test side’s batting coach. 

The necessity for targets will form part of the broader review a task team appointed by CSA is undertaking of the domestic structure. While at its core is the need for sustainability of the sport, transformation and how it is being managed is also being scrutinised. 

Khoza believes despite the Warriors affair, transformation targets are being faithfully adhered to by provincial unions. “The objective of these targets, as its core purpose, is to increase the pool of black players, particularly black African players.

“Without an overall improved quality of opportunity and player development, mere compliance alone would not assist the ecosystem; hence, we have monitored and evaluated the system in this regard," he said.