Proteas convenor of selectors Linda Zondi is “not worried at all” that Cricket South Africa’s Board of Directors’ decision to introduce targets for all the national teams yesterday will affect his job of selecting the best players for the Proteas in any way.
“In the past we had never set targets in our national teams but with changing circumstances we feel it is essential to move with the times,” CSA President and Chairman of the Board, Chris Nenzani said in a statement yesterday.
“The precise targets will depend on work to be undertaken by relevant committees to determine what is realistic and sustainable. This will be announced in due course. We will aim to achieve our targets over the course of the year and not on a match by match basis.”
Zondi, who replaced former Proteas Test opener Andrew Hudson a year ago, believes his panel consisting of Hussein Manack, Errol Stewart and Ashwell Prince along with Proteas head coach Russell Domingo, has made the necessary strides over the past 12 months to ensure they are ready for anything the ‘relevant committees’ ultimately recommend.
The Proteas have routinely played with a minimum of at least four black players for the past couple of years, while they recently beat ODI world champions Australia with a record number of eight black players in their line-up.
“If you look at the CSA statement there are no specific numbers at this stage, but I think we’ve done enough from our side and looking at the players that we have brought through over the last year I am not worried at all,” Zondi said.
“For the past year we have done a lot to create a pool of players that we’re quite comfortable in selecting. At the end of day the board makes decisions and it’s our job to implement them.”
Zondi may be happy with what’s happening around the selection table, but the Proteas’ on-field performances has not brought about a similar sense of satisfaction over the past year.
AB de Villiers’s Test side surrendered the ICC golden mace awarded to the No 1 Test side and have slipped down even further to sixth position on the rankings after winning just one out of 10 Tests last year.
Equally, the T20 side under Faf du Plessis’s leadership failed to negotiate the group stages of the World T20 in India, while De Villiers could also not lift his team to glory in a recent ODI triangular in the Caribbean.
“I don’t think the results have anything to do with the colour of the players’ skin, be it black or white players. It has more to do with players taking responsibility and putting in the performances that we know they are capable of,” Zondi stressed. – Cape Times