Dear Cricket South Africa:
How do you get yourselves in such a prickly mess all the time? After all, you have only just recovered from the Vernon Philander-Kyle Abbott World Cup semi-final selection saga.
Now you are juggling yet another selection time-bomb. One of the most important things about the letter that you received from the Black Cricketers in Unity is that surely you must have known it was coming, considering the recent events that have transpired within your national team.
The treatment of Aaron Phangiso this year has been nothing short of shocking. At 31, the Highveld Lions spinner is no rookie. He has been part of the South African cricket set-up since he was a teenager, playing in the very same SA under-19 team as current Proteas stalwarts AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis and Vernon Philander.
Phangiso was the only player within the Proteas 15-man World Cup squad not to play a single match at this year’s tournament. Even the might of the United Arab Emirates was considered too great a challenge for the man from Garankuwa.
Then when your conscience bothered you, or perhaps more accurately you were reminded of your own “aggressive transformation policy”, you selected Phangiso in your Test squad for Bangladesh despite the left-arm spinner having long been inactive for the Lions in the first-class arena.
Needless to say, the only whites Phangiso was seen in on the Bangladesh tour were covered with a neon substitute’s bib which he wore when running on to the field to offer his teammates refreshing relief from the sub-continent humidity. In fact, that was the most energy Phangiso used during almost the entire tour after he was overlooked for the ODI series too, despite impressing in the T20 series won by Faf du Plessis’s men.
Your intentions were exposed when you gathered again to choose your Test squad for India. In an unprecedented step, you opted for three specialist spinners within your squad, yet Phangiso’s name was not among them.
Was that judgment made on his water-carrying abilities? Did someone complain that the water was not cold enough when it arrived in the middle?
That brings me to the Proteas latest “water boy” – Khaya Zondo. I must admit that when I first saw the young Dolphins batsman I did not believe he had the potential to move through the levels to go on and represent his country.
But to Zondo’s credit, he has worked tirelessly on his game with franchise coach Lance Klusener and has become quite adept, especially when it comes to playing spin. He demonstrated this on the South Africa A tour to India – he was one of a few batsmen to return from that trip with his reputation enhanced.
A couple of injuries within the Proteas set-up provided an opening in the squad sooner than expected and you roped in the young man. Was it explained to him that regardless of the team’s circumstances his selection was solely a “learning exercise” for the future? If not, how do you explain Zondo remaining on the sidelines for the final two matches when you lost another batsman, JP Duminy, to injury?
And don’t get me wrong. Unlike many others I have no issue with the fact that you flew in Dean Elgar from sunny Centurion to join you in India and then played him ahead of Zondo. Elgar is a like-for-like replacement, especially on the sub-continent where we have seen in the Tests how valuable his spin bowling can be.
My problem lies rather with the continued selection of Zondo’s Dolphins teammate David Miller. Since that fateful World Cup semi, Miller has managed to put together only 182 runs in 10 innings at an average of 20.2!
Does Zondo not warrant an opportunity when a batsman within your team is clearly struggling for form?
My motive for penning this letter is not only to be critical. Members of the Black Cricketers in Unity have not covered themselves in glory either. Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s attitude towards his fitness while in the national team has left a lot to be desired, with the big left-arm swing bowler often opting for the easy route because he knew the “system” had him covered.
Likewise Thami Tsolekile did himself no favours over the years by withdrawing from SA A tours when he could have used them as a platform to push for selection.
I also applaud you for your management of young tearaway Kagiso Rabada. The way he was eased into international cricket and was made to feel comfortable within your team environment especially is testament to how the culture of the national team has evolved since the early days when players of colour were made to feel isolated in the dressing-room.
Rabada has made spectacular progress in a very short space of time and is well on his way to being everything you want him to be: A Black African role-model for the hundreds of thousands of young men and women you hope will take up the game due to impressive performances from “KG”.
But even here the warning lights are flashing brightly. Do not use Rabada like you exploited his predecessor Makhaya Ntini. His presence within your national teams, especially the Test side, is not enough reason for you to rest on your laurels believing that transformation within cricket is working.
Keep in mind that there is a strong need to provide more Black African players with opportunities in terms of game time. They also need your patience and the support of the structures inside of CSA. And don’t drop Rabada when you want to include Temba Bavuma in your line-up. It is not a one-for-one situation.
I would like to be a fly on the wall when you meet with the “BCU” because their spokesperson is a highly intelligent cricketer by the name of Omphile Ramela. He knows he has the support of the sports ministry and will not simply be comforted with false promises.
My tip for you is to address this issue with the honesty and sincerity it deserves. There’s simply no other way. You have seen what happens down the line when games are played with people’s lives.
Yours in sport,
Zaahier Adams - Cape Argus