Major changes in South African cricket selection, says Bacher (31 December 1998)

31 December 1998

Major changes in South African cricket selection, says Bacher

AFP

FORT BEAUFORT, South Africa, Dec 31 (AFP) - All South African provincial cricket teams playing first-class cricket will in future include players of colour, United Cricket Board managing director Ali Bacher said Thursday.

This change, Bacher told the SAPA news agency after holding talks here with Sports Minister Steve Tshwete, would "no doubt filter through to the Test team."

Tshwete earlier this week hammered the national cricket selectors after South Africa had completed their third successive Test victory over the West Indies.

Tshwete said the selectors had not picked enough black cricketers for the fourth Test, which starts at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.

"The series was already in the bag - this was a good opportunity to let a talented youngster have a chance to play," he said.

Tshwete claimed the repeated exclusion of black players from the national side was denying them the chance to improve skills and gain experience.

Bacher and Tshwete spoke for an hour behind closed doors in this Eastern Cape Province town, where both are attending a four-day cricket week.

After the meeting, Bacher announced that the board would issue a special charter which outlined the transformation of South African cricket and the visions held by the board for South Africa.

The transformation charter would be unveiled at Newlands on Sunday, he added.

During the past 15 months, Bacher said, a series of meetings had been held with cricket administrators throughout the country and a decision was made to right the injustices, the hurts and the wrongs of the past, when blacks were excluded from playing first-class cricket.

Source :: AFP