Aussie cricket commentators...grrr!!!

[OzzieCapie]

And the lights went on.

Shame. Another unbeatable Ausie who saw his ass.

Cheers mate. Whinge to your hearts content. Nothing is going to change the scoreboard.

Oh! Congratulations will graciously be accepted.

Still playing the man instead of debating.

Actually...I am a South African who lives in Australia, and I backed the Proteas..thanks.

And as much as you think I am being biased in standing up for Aussies, I stand up even more so for South Africans should the Aussies or anyone else for that matter incorrectly have a go at them...as is being done in general to the ABC commentators for what is being said by a few.

And as for the numbering system +2 to HypoThesis. Imagine how the only South African who played legitimate test cricket in the 60's (and others less fortunate) may have felt otherwise.

cheers

 

[Albereth]

Well out of no fault of their own they weren't representing South Africa as a whole but a select part of South Africa's society. Plus their caps would been for being Springboks...not Proteas. So either way it makes sense.

The current test cap process is a fair and just one IMO.

You can't say that they weren't representing the whole country. I don't want to get into the whole apartheid thing but maybe, just maybe, some cricket lovers of a colour and hue different to that of the team may have been supporting them. You also cannot prove that even if the team was selected from all players (not just whites) that those 11 weren't the very best we had available irrespective of skin tone.

The representation of a country is much more than just the team. It is what it means - look at us, we're the best SA has to offer at the moment and if we beat Australia doesn't it make each and every one of us feel that we too are better than a chap across the ocean even if just by proxy?

And it doesn't mean that every person has to be behind the team. I don't support SA soccer. Does that mean that the team doesn't represent South Africa? Of course not! And all those years ago when we won the CAF Cup (or whatever it was) I was well chuffed but it didn't change my opinion of SA soccer.

The noise that arises about what part of the population that a team from yesteryear was selected is negative. It's an attempt at political guilt. People can stand on soap boxes and pontificate about what people should have done, how they should have refused to go on tour. BS! You go. Because by not going you've just played to the 'other' political party.

Sport unifies. And we need heroes. But to bleat on about how the privileged few got to go avoids the very real point that they actually had talent. The best facilities and equipment in the world just make it easier to polish that talent, they don't create it.

Just that last little thought - women are excluded from the team. Not that I am advocating inclusion - but suddenly we're representative? Keep the politics out of sport. Yes, easier said than done.

 

[HypoThesis]

You can't say that they weren't representing the whole country. I don't want to get into the whole apartheid thing but maybe, just maybe, some cricket lovers of a colour and hue different to that of the team may have been supporting them. You also cannot prove that even if the team was selected from all players (not just whites) that those 11 weren't the very best we had available irrespective of skin tone.

The representation of a country is much more than just the team. It is what it means - look at us, we're the best SA has to offer at the moment and if we beat Australia doesn't it make each and every one of us feel that we too are better than a chap across the ocean even if just by proxy?

And it doesn't mean that every person has to be behind the team. I don't support SA soccer. Does that mean that the team doesn't represent South Africa? Of course not! And all those years ago when we won the CAF Cup (or whatever it was) I was well chuffed but it didn't change my opinion of SA soccer.

The noise that arises about what part of the population that a team from yesteryear was selected is negative. It's an attempt at political guilt. People can stand on soap boxes and pontificate about what people should have done, how they should have refused to go on tour. BS! You go. Because by not going you've just played to the 'other' political party.

Sport unifies. And we need heroes. But to bleat on about how the privileged few got to go avoids the very real point that they actually had talent. The best facilities and equipment in the world just make it easier to polish that talent, they don't create it.

Just that last little thought - women are excluded from the team. Not that I am advocating inclusion - but suddenly we're representative? Keep the politics out of sport. Yes, easier said than done.

Sorry but thats a whole load of BS right there.

As a black person myself you can't tell me that those teams in the 60's and subsequent years represented me. Did my people have a chance to try out for the team? Ummm. No. Therefore they weren't representing me. If a team is selected from 15% of a population of country there's no way in hell you can tell me they are a 'South African' team. Maybe Apartheid South Africa team but definitely not my country's team. Its not about everyone being behind the team, it's about everyone having equal access to tryout for the team. Your 'point' about women being represented is a trivial one and you know it.

We can argue and debate this the whole day but I feel it will just blow up into an emotional argument. We can debate why some players decided to play and why others didn't but thats irrelevant too as those very same players didn't have to compete against 80% of the rest of SA. Whether they're greats or not is a personal call.

Yes we should move on and reconcile. That's EXACTLY what the Proteas are about. Thats why they're numbered from the date of readmission. Even if the whole team was to be white right now they would still legitimately represent the whole of SA as EVERYONE has a chance to try out at the sport.

I won't even go to your point about SA Football. Each to their own I guess.

 

[Albereth]

Sorry but thats a whole load of BS right there.

As a black person myself you can't tell me that those teams in the 60's and subsequent years represented me. Did my people have a chance to try out for the team? Ummm. No. Therefore they weren't representing me. If a team is selected from 15% of a population of country there's no way in hell you can tell me they are a 'South African' team. Maybe Apartheid South Africa team but definitely not my country's team. Its not about everyone being behind the team, it's about everyone having equal access to tryout for the team. Your 'point' about women being represented is a trivial one and you know it.

We can argue and debate this the whole day but I feel it will just blow up into an emotional argument. We can debate why some players decided to play and why others didn't but thats irrelevant too as those very same players didn't have to compete against 80% of the rest of SA. Whether they're greats or not is a personal call.

Yes we should move on and reconcile. That's EXACTLY what the Proteas are about. Thats why they're numbered from the date of readmission. Even if the whole team was to be white right now they would still legitimately represent the whole of SA as EVERYONE has a chance to try out at the sport.

I won't even go to your point about SA Football. Each to their own I guess.

Well there you go then.

Nobody ever said that they represented you - that's a choice you can make all by yourself. They still represented the country. And if they all came from South Africa, then they are a South African team.

 

[Vrotappel]

Whether they're greats or not is a personal call.

Yes we should move on and reconcile. That's EXACTLY what the Proteas are about. Thats why they're numbered from the date of readmission. Even if the whole team was to be white right now they would still legitimately represent the whole of SA as EVERYONE has a chance to try out at the sport.

Some of them were some of the greatest the sport has ever produced (no personal call, their records speak for themselves). Now as a South African with a chip on your shoulder you may not want to recognise them because they are white and played cricket for SA at the wrong time, but the rest of the cricket world will recognise them as some of the greatest. Unfortunately sanctions stopped some of the best players we ever produced.

 

[Ou grote]

Some of them were some of the greatest the sport has ever produced (no personal call, their records speak for themselves). Now as a South African with a chip on your shoulder you may not want to recognise them because they are white and played cricket for SA at the wrong time, but the rest of the cricket world will recognise them as some of the greatest. Unfortunately sanctions stopped some of the best players we ever produced.

Yup, but they'll be denied recognition for their achievements in their own country through no fault of their own
So much for reconciliation...