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Kagiso Rabada celebrates wicket in T20I for the Proteas
Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images
- Cricket South Africa Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors, Judge Zak Yacoob, stated that it was in the “national interest” for the Proteas to support and address discrimination, indignities and exclusions.
- The interim board stated that they will not “force” the Proteas to act and change their stance on the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Yacoob added that the interim board will remain “committed to this issue” as they seek to change CSA.
The Cricket South Africa (CSA) interim board released a statement Friday on the organization’s handling of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The movement has an additional problem on CSA’s growing list of problems in 2020.
In July, the Black Lives Matter movement became a hot topic in South African cricket after Proteas fast pitcher Lungi Ngidi shared his support for the movement.
Ngidi’s views caused some former South African cricketers, including Rudi Steyn, Pat Symcox and Boeta Dippenaar, to beat each other, arguing that “all lives matter.”
Since then, former players of color have come out not only to support Ngidi, but also to share their stories of abuse and experience racial inequality, the most notable story coming from the heartbreaking revelation of Proteas legend Makhaya Ntini.
Later in July, CSA launched the Copa Solidaria or 3TC, where all the players, coaches and management knelt before Centurion.
In August, the Protea attended a cultural camp in Skukuza where they had frank discussions about where they came from, culturally, and where they wanted to go.
International cricket finally returned to South Africa in November when the Proteas took on England in a T20 series.
CSA together with the Proteas decided not to kneel, but to wear a black armband at the opening of two T20s in honor or victims of Covid-19 and gender violence.
The Proteas did not wear a black armband in the final T20 at Newlands.
In a CSA statement on November 25, it stated that “together, we are exploring [in a continuing way] the meaning of taking the knee and raising the fist ”.
The acting chairman of the board, Judge Zak Yacoob, admitted on Friday his concern about the implications of the statement and “believes that subsequent criticism from the public and the media has justified these concerns.”
“The President noted in a letter to Cricket Director Graeme Smith and Coach Mark Boucher on the same day as the players’ statement that while the Interim Board (IB) respected the constitutional right of individuals to freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution, the IB considered that “we should embrace all aspects of our constitution” fully as South Africans and show “to the world that we are all together in opposition to racism at all times”,Read the statement from the CSA interim board.
In the case of two of the three T20s against England at Newlands, two large posters were seen in the stands reading: We stand in solidarity against racism and gender violence. The banners were absent at Paarl’s T20.
Judge Yacoob explained that while the interim board could not force the national team to act, it would encourage the Proteas to continue their stated intention to get involved in this issue.
Yacoob said it was in the “national interest that our sports representatives reflect the constitutional imperatives for South Africans to address persistent discrimination, indignities and exclusions.”
The CSA interim board expressed its full support for the Black Lives Matter movement and feels it has particular significance given the country’s past.
“The IB reaffirmed the importance of the current global movement against systemic racism in sport, noting that it was not a sectarian political cause but rather a broad social justice campaign that garnered broad support from athletes around the world, bringing together a coalition of support across national, racial, class, religious, and generational lines.
“The IB considers Black Lives Matter to have particular significance given South Africa’s apartheid past. Therefore, the IB has confirmed CSA’s support for BLM, first expressed on July 9 following the letter sent to CSA by 36 former national players and senior coaches.“
The president revealed that the interim board will continue to participate and discuss the issue.
The CSA interim board also announced that it has put on hold the Social Justice and Nation Building (SJN) initiative, which was launched by CSA this year.
“That [the interim board] he had also applied his mind to the SJN initiative and subsequently put it on hold, pending further consideration including obtaining a legal opinion from legal counsel. “
– Compiled by Lynn Butler
