CSA denies Smith quit threat

[MickeyD]

Johannesburg - South Africa's cricket board made the unusual move on Saturday of denying social media comments that captain Graeme Smith threatened to quit if black wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile was picked for the Test series against India.

Cricket South Africa said it "would like to quash rumors and comments floating around" that Smith had given selectors an ultimatum before the first test. CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat added "there is no truth at all to these malicious and damaging comments."

Tsolekile, who was not chosen to play in the first test, has become relevant to South Africa's struggle to include more black players in national teams after he was overlooked on the tour to England last year when Mark Boucher was injured despite being the backup wicketkeeper.

A report on transformation in South African sport is due next month, with cricket and rugby both admitting there aren't enough black players at the top level.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/IndiaInSA/CSA-denies-Smith-quit-threat-20131221
and
http://www.rapport.co.za/Sport/Krieket/Graeme-wou-glo-loop-as-Tsolekile-speel-20131221

 

[MickeyD]

Deny all you like but where there's smoke there's fire!

I see no reason why Tsolokile should play when you have better glovemen in SA like Dane Vilas, Morne van Wyk, Heino Kuhn and even QdK.

 

[Garson007]

Ridiculous assertion.

 

[Garson007]

Deny all you like but where there's smoke there's fire!

I don't think there is smoke. Somebody was just trying to start a fire.

 

[Fulcrum29]

A report on transformation in South African sport is due next month, with cricket and rugby both admitting there aren't enough black players at the top level.

Who admitted what, so they want to force black players to top level? All players needs to perform below to enable them to reach top level.

Transformation = Less whites

What about soccer?

 

[akescpt]

Who admitted what, so they want to force black players to top level? All players needs to perform below to enable them to reach top level.

Transformation = Less whites

What about soccer?

What about it? Whites don't give a fsuck about soccer.

 

[Fulcrum29]

What about it? Whites don't give a fsuck about soccer.

So where did you get this opinion? Clearly you don’t support local clubs.

If they want transformation, then it must happen over all levels.

 

[akescpt]

So where did you get this opinion? Clearly you don’t support local clubs.

If they want transformation, then it must happen over all levels.

2 or 3 token whites in the crowd doesn't translate into a culture of support for soccer amongst whites.

Traditionally soccer is black. Whites have been content for it to be run into the ground all these years. You telling me that magically now whites have evolved to care about local soccer?

 

[Fulcrum29]

2 or 3 token whites in the crowd doesn't translate into a culture of support for soccer amongst whites.

Traditionally soccer is black. Whites have been content for it to be run into the ground all these years. You telling me that magically now whites have evolved to care about local soccer?

My local club is De Beers AFC, quite an interracial club.

I don’t know where you watch soccer…

 

[cr@zydude]

2 or 3 token whites in the crowd doesn't translate into a culture of support for soccer amongst whites.

Traditionally soccer is black. Whites have been content for it to be run into the ground all these years. You telling me that magically now whites have evolved to care about local soccer?

The first pro league in SA was white. At my last count more than half the PSL owners and coaches were white. Also rememner that 1 white player in a 23 mam squad is representitive.

On topic, Smith has made some dumb choices but this is simply too stupid.

 

[akescpt]

My local club is De Beers AFC, quite an interracial club.

I don’t know where you watch soccer…

In the psl and bafana, where it matters, it's black. Have you seen the bafana team lately? No other race apparently plays soccer in this country. It's complete BS.

 

[DJ...]

The first pro league in SA was white. At my last count more than half the PSL owners and coaches were white. Also rememner that 1 white player in a 23 mam squad is representitive.

On topic, Smith has made some dumb choices but this is simply too stupid.

1 in 23? No, that's not representative at all...

 

[modern10]

I don't think there is smoke. Somebody was just trying to start a fire.

Agreed it's been a slow news week on the sports front.

 

[cr@zydude]

1 in 23? No, that's not representative at all...

The white population is 9 percent. 1 in the starting 11 or 2 in a 23 man squad is right. Look at Bafana since July, and you should find that ratio. As I pointed put, the PSL has many white owners ans coaxhes.

 

[akescpt]

The first pro league in SA was white. At my last count more than half the PSL owners and coaches were white. Also rememner that 1 white player in a 23 mam squad is representitive.

On topic, Smith has made some dumb choices but this is simply too stupid.

Doesn't matter. Look at bafana. End of discussion. I would live to see change but who will bring it to soccer?

 

[Fulcrum29]

In the psl and bafana, where it matters, it's black. Have you seen the bafana team lately? No other race apparently plays soccer in this country. It's complete BS.

This is my point.

I support communities and their sport clubs, it is the best place to witness racial integration on sport level, cultures sharing in participation. Yes, there is teething problems, but hey its sport and it brings out the “best” in characters, but it will not result in a war.

In the end, sport is a product, you want to cater a market then you have to work with your market.

I have grown up in the Helderberg area and have lived here ever since, our rugby, our cricket, our soccer, our tennis, our chess, our karate and I can go on, are very much today interracial with no substantial problems which result in a growing community and everyone earns their position.

 

[akescpt]

This is my point.

I support communities and their sport clubs, it is the best place to witness racial integration on sport level, cultures sharing in participation. Yes, there is teething problems, but hey its sport and it brings out the “best” in characters, but it will not result in a war.

In the end, sport is a product, you want to cater a market then you have to work with your market.

I have grown up in the Helderberg area and have lived here ever since, our rugby, our cricket, our soccer, our tennis, our chess, our karate and I can go on, are very much today interracial with no substantial problems which result in a growing community and everyone earns their position.

I thought your team sounded familiar. My son's team spanked one of your junior teams this year.

I have been crying for this for ages. Where will change come from?

 

[mercurial]

Quotas are BS. Pick the best team. End of story.

 

[vinodh]

I spoke to some of the black guys guys at work about soccer in South Africa being ignored with regards to representativity. I asked them why only Cricket and Rugby is such an issue. They eventually admitted that white people won't play/can't play soccer. When I mentioned white soccer players that represented SA previously, they ignored that and focussed on the can't play/won't play bollocks. When I mentioned how strange it is that white people in Europe can actually play quite well despite their obvious disability of being white, they quickly responded that it's the Afrikaans speaking white people that can't play soccer. I told them that that argument makes no sense and if transformation is so important to the country, why isn't government doing something to ensure more white players are given opportunities.

They then went back to the can't play/won't play argument. Sad.

 

[akescpt]

I spoke to some of the black guys guys at work about soccer in South Africa being ignored with regards to representativity. I asked them why only Cricket and Rugby is such an issue. They eventually admitted that white people won't play/can't play soccer. When I mentioned white soccer players that represented SA previously, they ignored that and focussed on the can't play/won't play bollocks. When I mentioned how strange it is that white people in Europe can actually play quite well despite their obvious disability of being white, they quickly responded that it's the Afrikaans speaking white people that can't play soccer. I told them that that argument makes no sense and if transformation is so important to the country, why isn't government doing something to ensure more white players are given opportunities.

They then went back to the can't play/won't play argument. Sad.

I've had that discussion many times.