Just about the only good thing about Friday’s one-off T20 International is the donation Cricket South Africa will make to the Jacques Kallis Scholarship Foundation.
Jacques Kallis deserves better than this “tribute game”. If you were going to have a “tribute game” for Kallis then surely you do it at his beloved homeground Newlands.
When this game was announced it smacked of the last desperate throes of a man trying to prove that he could still provide value to Cricket South Africa as its chief executive.
Gerald Majola is now preparing for an enormous fight to save his reputation. Cricket SA’s discredited Board of Directors meet on Friday where they are set to thrash out the disciplinary process to be followed concerning Majola as per the recommendations of Judge Chris Nicholson.
Meanwhile, a “meaningless” T20 game will be played at the Wanderers sponsored by a newspaper whose managing editor serves on CSA’s Board as an “independent” director.
It’s such a pity for players like Dane Vilas and Farhaan Behardien whose international debuts should be something special, that it is being cheapened by this horribly sham attempt at making more money.
It’s a pity, too, for MiWay Insurance who came in as last-minute sponsors of the domestic T20 competition and now see their marquee final relegated to second place on Sunday.
That match between the Highveld Lions and the Titans should have been the highlight of the weekend as far as the T20 format is concerned instead a lot of the spotlight has been taken away because of this match.
Still, here’s hoping that enough funds are raised for Kallis’ Foundation which does an excellent job helping young boys realise their academic and sporting ambitions.
If this match achieves nothing else, then at least let it be to their benefit.
TEAMS
South Africa: Johan Botha (capt), Farhaan Behardien, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Colin Ingram, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morné van Wyk, Dane Vilas
India: Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ashock Dinda, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Ravi Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Rahul Sharma, Robin Uthappa, Manoj Tiwary, Vinay Kumar – The Star