Transformation targets are no problem for CSA

JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa are comfortable that they have achieved their transformation targets and that they will be met with approval from government when they submit a report to the Eminent Persons Group on Transformation in Sport next month.

The Proteas will bring the curtain down on their international season in Hamilton where they face New Zealand in the third and final Test, and will have exceeded the targets for the number of black players and black African players they were stipulated to pick over the course of the season.

“What has always been fundamental to transformation for us is a ‘bottom up’ approach,” said Cricket SA’s chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

Following the organisation’s AGM last September, CSA announced new stipulations for transformation for the national team, with a minimum 54 percent of playing opportunities for all black players and 18 percent for black African players. Those numbers were to be measured over the course of the season across all three formats.

Ahead of the final Test against New Zealand, the figures for the season stood at 55.51 percent of playing opportunities having gone to black players, while the figure for black African players stood at 19.15 percent. For the most part the national team have been able to include at least two black African players in the starting XI across the formats, with four the highest number in two of the T20 internationals against Sri Lanka in January.

Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma have been ever-present in the Test starting side that has, in addition – for the majority of the season – included four black players as well. The highest number of black players picked in one match was eight – the final T20 against Sri Lanka.

A spokesperson for the Department of Sport and Recreation said minister Fikile Mbalula would await the final report, which will be handed to the Eminent Persons Group next month – and will include data from all sports – before he commented.

In April last year, Mbalula suspended Cricket SA, SA Rugby, Athletics SA and Netball SA from hosting international tournaments due to their failure to meet transformation targets.

Although data regarding transformation targets will only be made public next month, that didn’t stop Mbalula from throwing the government’s support behind SA Rugby’s bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Meanwhile Lorgat said besides CSA’s own initiatives bearing fruit, it was important in a series of meetings with the EPG last year that clarity was achieved over CSA’s transformation “scorecard”.

“We spent a long time – after the last assessment – showing where there were errors on their scorecard and ours. We had to convince the Department and Willie Basson (EPG secretary) that that scorecard could not work for cricket. There was a lot of constructive engagement,” said Lorgat.

Cricket SA are committed to the EPG charter until 2018-19.

“We were placed under pressure,” said Lorgat. “What we have achieved has not been done through luck. The basis is from our transformation indaba and we have implemented what was discussed there.”

To enhance the transformation initiatives domestically, Lorgat says the semi-professional level – just below the franchise level – may need some refinement in the future.