Proteas have right formula

CRICKET, unlike some sports in South Africa, has made a genuine attempt to transform in an attempt to address the imbalances of the past.

Along the way it has endured some rocky moments in trying to implement its policies. The Justin Ontong-Jacques Rudolph episode in 2001, the 2008 Andre Nel-Charl Langeveldt fiasco, and the saga involving Vernon Philander and Kyle Abbott ahead of the 2015 World Cup semi-final in Auckland are all low points on cricket’s copy book.

But through all this trauma, cricket has continued to strive for its teams to better reflect the demographics of the nation. While the debate about quotas at national level will always be a contentious issue, Cricket South Africa have attempted to address it at a lower level too, with the strict implementation of targets from schoolboy cricket right through up until franchise level in an attempt to broaden its player base.

The objective of trying to provide equal opportunities for all has certainly brought about phenomenal results in recent times.

The Proteas beat World No 1 India in a Test series last month, showcasing the strength of the national team. There were plenty of reasons to celebrate this achievement, but even more so was the line-up that South Africa fielded in the final Test at the Wanderers.

Although the match was ultimately lost on a pitch rated as “poor” by the International Cricket Council, watching the “old pro” Philander bowl in tandem with youngsters such as Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo would certainly have brought a huge smile to the late Khaya Majola.

Majola was, of course, a stalwart of non-racial sport during apartheid and continued to work tirelessly in various development programmes after unity in 1991.

The holy grail of the World Cup remains elusive, but with less than 18 months to go before the Proteas have another crack at it in England next year, the building blocks are certainly in place for South Africa to launch their latest attack with a squad that will have the support of the entire nation.

And that is wonderful news.