South African pacebowler Lungisani Ngidi in Canberra during the Proteas’ tour of Australia in October 2018. Ngidi has called for Cricket South Africa (CSA) to acknowledge that black lives matter[/caption]
How issues of race have cast South African cricket into turbulence
One side of the society has the access to the best facilities and most of the financial resources in the country. They had been a privileged minority built on colonial and then apartheid rule.
The other side is considered to be by law side, stepped into one corner of the society from 26 years ago, and still suffering the legacy of that centuries-old oppression, they say.
Although they are expected to be equals, they cross paths in the board room, class room, and the playing field. The past shows that their playing fields are anything but level and continue to show their differences throughout.
Cricket is absolutely no different.
Henry’s revelations on 92 World Cup
Lungi Ngidi started the black lives movement at a press event which was hardly controversial but it has gone out of reach.
Earlier, there had been incidents worthy of note, such as the Omar Henry issue when he wanted to return home from the 1992 World Cup.
Omar Henry had revealed how he wanted to return home from the ’92 World Cup after being given what he considered an unsatisfactory answer over why he was left out of South Africa’s match against New Zealand.
In an emotional testimony at Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings in July, Henry had revealed how he was regarded as a “sell out” by his own community after he accepted an offer to play for a white club in the 1970s.
He had also revealed before the SJN the challenges of being the first player of colour to represent South Africa post-readmission in 1992, including his difficulties at the ’92 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which he believes reflect selection issues that continue to exist today.
Jonty Rhodes firmly believes
Jonty Rhodes strongly believes that the long-standing administrative crisis in South African cricket is responsible for the national team’s inconsistency. He has acknowledged that “racial inequality” remains a part of the country’s ecosystem.
Rhodes, who is in Dubai as fielding coach of Kings XI Punjab ahead of the IPL, feels not much will change in South African cricket till the administrative chaos ends.
“The sad thing for me is that even though top 30 players in the country want to work together for the game, the administration is in such chaos that unfortunately it does have an impact on things (on the field),” Rhodes had said.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has had interim CEOs and coaches in the recent past and that can’t help, feels Rhodes.
‘White privilege’ still continues
“Someone like me who is not part of the system; we are reading about issues in South Africa cricket week in and week out and it has not been resolved. In India, there is such real difference from state to state but it is considered as one race but in South Africa even though we all are South Africans, because of the apartheid regime, there is social and economic inequality.
“This white privilege still extends and carries on generation after generation. It is difficult for young black children coming up in a disadvantaged community to have a better life than their parents just because of lack of facilities. There is so much corruption,” he explained.
Rhodes said the Covid-19 pandemic has deepened the fault lines.
“Covid-19 has highlighted all these differences but they have been there for the last 26 years.”
‘Racial’ Quota System
The Quota System has been institutionalised in South Africa, including cricket, which requires the national team to field an average of six players of colour over the course of a season.
Is Rhodes for the Quota System?
He conceded that the issue is a complicated one even for those who have benefitted from the system.
“That (Quota System) has been the bone of contention for a lot of ex-players, … no matter how good they were, it was always considered as a quota selection. That affected them emotionally and mentally in playing for a team in which they felt nobody else trusted them or supported them.
“People keep asking me about white privilege and I keep saying that I grew up in a regime that was totally designed to ensure I had the best opportunity.
“So, there is racial inequality, some people call that racism, and there has to be a level playing field,” he added.