(Cricket) : South Africa quota system to end

[Ou grote]

Not sure if it should be in the sports section rather, but it is "news" I think.

http://content-www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/content/current/story/380692.html
South Africa news
South Africa quota system to end
Cricinfo staff
December 3, 2008

South Africa's controversial "quota" system will continue for another three years, after which a merit-based selection will take over.

The so-called quota system - formally known by Cricket South Africa as the "target transformation policy" - was introduced in 1998 to gain a better balance in the number of non-white players at the highest level of South African cricket. On the surface it has been a success, with Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince and Hashim Amla ranked among the world's best.

Yet it continues to polarise opinion with many concerns that the system is little more than tokenism. As recently as March this year, Andre Nel was rumoured to be considering his future after he was omitted from South Africa's squad to tour India. A row subsequently broke out between coach Mickey Arthur and the CSA president Norman Arendse when it transpired that the squad didn't feature sufficient players of colour, as required by the transformation policy.

South Africa have picked seven coloured players in their 15-man squad to tour Australia next week: Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Jean-Paul Duminy, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Monde Zondeki. But come 2011, the CSA's selection policy will revert to a merit-based one.

"The goal is to get merit-based selection at all levels of cricket," CSA chief executive Gerald Majola told The Age. "We have decided to continue with the target transformation policy for the next three years, with a review at the end of each year. At the end of the three years we hope we can then move to merit-based selection across the board."

12 months ago, the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) chief executive Tony Irish confirmed that the top 25 cricketers in the country had called upon CSA to do away with quotas in the selection of the national team. "The players feel that as soon as a racial number is set for selection of the team (whether or not one calls this a quota or a target) it leads to a divisive dynamic within the team," Irish said, "and it is also degrading to the players of colour who should be there on merit yet are labelled a quota/target player."

© Cricinfo

 

[Alan]

Hell will freeze over

 

[Ou grote]

Hell will freeze over

It's frozen a few times as far as I can remember, the quota system ends at least once a year. (There were "gentlemen's" agreements etc.)
Until 9 whites get selected in the team, then noises are heard...

 

[krycor]

Cricket is always ahead of things hopefully this is a sign of changes coming

 

[monstaza]

You underestimate something...

I used to train IT to "underprivileged" students from the townships.

The students couldn't give one good reason why Affirmative Action is good for the country. We all know that without a major improvement in the schooling system any serious AA quotas are going to cause hundreds of thousands of "not yet competent" people to be sitting in positions.

Yet to the students, AA is the single most important reason why they vote for the ANC. They will take a good job anyway they can get it. Whether its good for the country or not is "not their problem".

Take from that what you will...

 

[mercurial]

Why wait for 3 years? Do it now already ffs.

 

[brixton tower]

It's frozen a few times as far as I can remember, the quota system ends at least once a year. (There were "gentlemen's" agreements etc.)
Until 9 whites get selected in the team, then noises are heard...

LOL, in a country of close on 50 million people it would be criminal to choose a team of 9 YT's. Like other people, I'd like to think that the national team should not be paying the price for coaches at the amateur/junior/provincial level who simply refuse to pick promising black players.

For the sake of cricket's future in South Africa its important that there should be a steady stream of black talent coming through the ranks...else Cricket SA might as well re-locate to Perth. I'd like to think that any talented white boy(Graeme Smith) will come through the system and be chosen on merit.

 

[Sneeky]

LOL, in a country of close on 50 million people it would be criminal to choose a team of 9 YT's. Like other people, I'd like to think that the national team should not be paying the price for coaches at the amateur/junior/provincial level who simply refuse to pick promising black players.

foolish talk.
Why not fire the administrators, the ones who are tasked and empowered to ensure that there is enough black talent coming through.
Why crucify the national team performance, to window dress, so that we can all be unhappy in the substandard performance that that will bring.
Why is it that everything is done backwards in this country under ANC rule? Why is it that the people in power are seemingly unable to do route cause analysis to identify and correct the problems. Reactive action will get us nowhere, fast. Why not fire the sports minister, he is ultimately 'accountable',,,,,, oh there's that ugly word no ANC cadre wants to hear.

For the sake of cricket's future in South Africa its important that there should be a steady stream of black talent coming through the ranks...else Cricket SA might as well re-locate to Perth. I'd like to think that any talented white boy(Graeme Smith) will come through the system and be chosen on merit.

Agreed, I would also like to think that.

 

[Alan]

LOL, in a country of close on 50 million people it would be criminal to choose a team of 9 YT's. .

WTF is a YT

 

[mercurial]

White.

 

[Alan]

White.

That's what I thought. But how is having 9 whites in a team for a nation of 50mill criminal.

I guess all those blacks in U.S basketball, NFL and baseball teams is criminal too considering they make up only around 10% of the population. The French national soccer team have a majority plenty of blacks too. I guess that's criminal as well. Or is it as usual only a one way street....

 

[mercurial]

Yeah I don't agree with what that poster said either.

 

[JK8]

I still wont support them!

 

[Devill]

Hell will freeze over

It's frozen a few times as far as I can remember, the quota system ends at least once a year. (There were "gentlemen's" agreements etc.)
Until 9 whites get selected in the team, then noises are heard...

Yeah if there are more than 6 players of colour out of the 13 man sq. then the quota system has acieved what it was intended to do and thus it can be abolished, if there isn't we need to stick to it for another 14 years

 

[JK8]

Would plates like Ntini, Prince or Amla have made the side if it was not for the quota system?

 

[Sneeky]

So by implication you are calling Makhaya, Ashwell and Hashim quota players.
Nice dude, they will love you for that.

 

[JK8]

So by implication you are calling Makhaya, Ashwell and Hashim quota players.
Nice dude, they will love you for that.

Lol did I write "plates"???

Anyway, yes they are quota players. Or were they chosen on merit?

 

[Sneeky]

A bit further, so are you of the opinion that in cricket, any player of colour that is there is only there because of the quota system?

 

[JK8]

A bit further, so are you of the opinion that in cricket, any player of colour that is there is only there because of the quota system?

Yes most of them, Ntini and Amla I say will be touch and go, but im biased toward Amla.
The others like Zondeki, Ill say is a 80 20 split, 80% because of race 20% skill.

 

[Sneeky]

Procter and Matthews are then racists and Ximiya and Khan coconuts?