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S. Africa can do without quota selections: Bacher

Durban: Former South African captain and administrator Ali Bacher has lashed out at the prevailing quota system in the country’s cricket team selection, saying South Africa no longer need the controversial policy as players of colour are not discriminated against anymore.

The former South African Cricket Board chief, who was one of the officials responsible for the integration of black and white cricket in South Africa in the early 1990s, made the comments in the face of the controversy surrounding the team selection for the current Indian tour.

Transformation

Bacher, writing in a column for the ‘Sunday Tribune’, said transformation should take place from bottom up and not the other way round.

“It was once important for quota selection to ensure that the makeup of the team was more representative. I, in fact, was in the forefront of that initiative but we have surely moved on since then,” Bacher wrote.

“A number of black players have secured placed in the Proteas’ team on merit alone and, on the basis of this natural evolution, more will automatically come through on merit, thereby eliminating the need for quotas,” he added.

Fiery pace bowler Andre Nel was dropped from the squad and replaced by Charl Langeveldt, who is coloured.

Langeveldt’s withdrawal

But Langeveldt withdrew from the squad after returning from the Bangladesh tour, saying he would not be in the right frame of mind for the three-Test series against India.

He said he did not want to be seen as a “quota” player in terms of Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) requirements that there should be at least six players of colour in the national squad.

After Langeveldt made his decision, CSA chose another coloured player, Mondeki Zondeki, to take his place. — PTI

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