South Africans condemn forced integration and other news (8 December 1998)
THE decision to enforce racial integration at the highest levels has produced strong reactions in South Africa and overshadowed the national team's build-up to the start of the second Test against the West Indies on Thursday
08-Dec-1998
8 December 1998
South Africans condemn forced integration and other news
Electronic Telegraph
THE decision to enforce racial integration at the highest levels
has produced strong reactions in South Africa and overshadowed
the national team's build-up to the start of the second Test
against the West Indies on Thursday.
"We will put blacks in your team," ran a banner headline in The
Star newspaper after the United Cricket Board of South Africa
elected to make the presence of non-white players in provincial
teams mandatory from next season.
"We think it is very unfortunate that cricket, which has done
more than any other sport to promote development, is being forced
into this compromise by politicians," The Citizen said in an
editorial.
But Mluleki George, the National Sports Council president, said:
"There is a concerted effort to keep black players from
representing the country at the senior level . . . we can not
fold our arms while black players are deliberately kept out of
cricket. "
In Pakistan, Zimbabwe lost to the Lahore City Cricket Association
by one wicket after Salim Malik made 149. The former Pakistan
captain, omitted from the squad of 18 for the second Test
starting on Thursday, helped the local side make 347 in 75 overs
to win with five balls to spare.
Malik, who is under judicial investigation over allegations of
match-fixing and betting, vowed that he would be vindicated when
the judge conducting the inquiry reports his findings to the
country's president, Mohammad Rafiq Tarar, next week.
Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum said: "I wouldn't commit on who are
the players . . . but I admit that something is wrong somewhere
and the allegations levelled in the past are not baseless.
"It will be entirely up to the president what action he takes.
But I believe action will be taken."
India were bundled out for 103 by a Central Districts Selection
XI in Napier as they made a disappointing start to their tour of
New Zealand. The districts were 121 for one at stumps.
SSource :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)