By now anyone with a passion for cricket (and half a brain) knows that there was political interference in the selection of our World Cup semi-final team that faced New Zealand. The rumours were substantiated by sources within the camp, but this hasn’t stopped the muppets at Cricket South Africa sticking to their guns and denying any foul play. Raymond White, the ex-president of Gauteng cricket and an internationally respected figure in the cricketing world, had this to say on the matter:

The charade continues

And so the charade continues, the charade that an instruction was not given to Russell Domingo to change the selectors` preferred eleven for the semi final against New Zealand. In order to give the appearance of rigorous governance, CSA appointed three of their own directors to investigate the allegations that the best eleven was not put into the field on the instructions of its CEO..

The ingenuous trio produced a report which was designed to mitigate the damage caused by the ‘mischievous’ reporting in sections of the media. The story leaking from the squad itself was that an instruction had been given by Haroon Lorgat to include four players of colour in the semi final team despite the selectors` reluctance to take the risk of playing an unfit Vernon Philander in preference to the in form Kyle Abbott.

In any society, other than that of the racially confused state of the beloved country, the panels` report would have been greeted with complete derision. A few journalists who have been privy to the inside story have done their best in the face of the totalitarian tactics of CSA but this is a tale whose truth will eventually out when the principal actors have nothing to lose.

The crux of the panels findings are contained in clause 9 of their report. This clause which is destined to reach a deserved notoriety reads as follows;

Domingo confirmed that he had never received an SMS from Lorgat as alleged and Lorgat in turn confirmed that he had never sent an SMS to Domingo.

Comfortably then for CSA, both boys are at one with their testimony and neither of them can be accused of lying.

Well that is alright then, case closed. Only it is not alright and at worst is a clumsy evasion of the received truth which is that Domingo received a telephone call, not an SMS, from Lorgat telling him that four players of colour had to be selected for the semi final team.

The rest of the panels` report is nothing less that an attempt to paint a rosy picture of harmony within the greater environment of the Proteas. The story of considerable disharmony originally broken by Mike Horne has been dismissed by Lorgat as a ‘misunderstanding due to Horne`s difficulties with the English language’!

One day, sooner rather than later in view of his disastrous world cup campaign during which three matches were lost against inferior opposition, Domingo will resign from his job. He will find temporary employment in the lucrative speaking industry which will encourage him to spill the beans. AB de Villiers is probably already talking to several prospective ghost writers all of whom will be gleefully anticipating a ready made and juicy chapter for his autobiography. The truth will out.

None of the above really bothers me. The future is more important than the past. There are more pressing issues in the rainbow nation at large and in South African cricket in particular that should be occupying the attention of those in offices of responsibility.

Prime concern should be that twenty three years after the establishment of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, just one black man has played for his country with any success, Makhaya Ntini. The lessons of his great career have been lost on a succession of administrators who have swallowed the pills of transformation. Makhaya was told early on that success at the highest level depended on two things- a god given talent and hard work. It was driven into him by a number of wise men that hard work was the more important by far.

Since then, Ntini`s would be followers have been allowed a more cushy journey to the top courtesy of the increasing influence of the so-called rules of transformation. The results have been dismal but the call now is not for a re-examination of the effects of quotas but rather for an increase in them at all levels of the game. Eventually cricket in this country will experience the Eskom effect with a consequent breakdown in performance.

Take the competiveness of the South African under 19 team which by definition should contain a sprinkling of future stars. The youngsters are currently in Bangladesh where one might expect that they would do well against the youth of a country that has struggled in the international arena. In fact our boys have been shellacked. They lost the ODI series by 5 matches to 1.

This is the sort of issue that should be in the forefront of CSA minds. Why should our under 19 team be so uncompetitive against one of cricket`s lesser lights? Has it been a failure against spin bowling? Have our spinners not had the same impact as the Bangi boys. Are their too many white lads in the team? Are these youngsters not representative of our best under 19 players? Are our coaching resources adequate? Is this just a poor crop of under 19 cricketers? If I was on the board of CSA these are questions to which I would require answers. It would worry me that this team might be representative of what is waiting for SA cricket in a few years time.

Haroon Lorgat says that he wants to pursue an ‘aggressive policy of transformation’. What does this mean? What right does he have to make statements of this nature as if he is the prime minister of SA cricket. He is a paid servant of the cricket board whose prime function should be the smooth running of the game in this country. He talks as though the game is his personal fiefdom.

He had a dismal career at the ICC where he behaved as though he was the Sepp Blatter of cricket. Fortunately the board of the ICC was wise to Lorgat and fired him. From the tone and content of the report of the men who inquired into Selectiongate and the report`s bland acceptance by CSA, the ambitious Lorgat will be with us long enough to do considerable damage to SA cricket.

thanks Simon