CSA, look to Oz for guidance Red-hot City want trophies not records, says Sterling
The last thing ‘on strike’ Proteas want is to face cocky Aussies
Port Elizabeth
● This was to have been an analysis of what South Africa could learn from England’s performance against Australia, who loom large on our horizon after reclaiming the Ashes in emphatic style.
That is, learn from England how not to do it. Don’t let your captain be pushed around, like the Aussies have done to Joe Root. Don’t let their captain set fire to the crease, like Steve Smith has done. Don’t let their top order settle by feeding them mediocre fast bowling, like James Anderson and Stuart Broad have done. Don’t let your spinner sink without trace, like Moeen Ali has done.
Don’t get into arguments in the pub that go from stupid to senseless when nobodies from your own backyard pour beer over the heads of somebodies, like Ben Duckett apparently did to Anderson.
Still in the pub, don’t headbutt people — even in allegedly friendly fashion. Like Jonny Bairstow did to Cameron Bancroft.
Better yet, stay out of the pub.
You can see where this was going. With Australia and South Africa set to face off at Kingsmead on March 1 in the first of four tests, it seemed a decent yarn.
Then, in conversation with reporters in a Port Elizabeth hotel on Wednesday, Cricket South Africa’s vice-president and acting CEO Thabang Moroe said: “Ultimately the people that make money for cricket is CSA, it’s not a union.”
The “union” is the South African Cricketers’ Association (Saca), which represents South Africa’s professionals — without whom CSA would not make a cent because it wouldn’t attract sponsors and broadcasters.
Moroe came to cricket from MTN, whose cellphone contracts wouldn’t be worth the ink used to detail the T&Cs if a complimentary handset wasn’t part of the bargain. Substitute CSA’s players for MTN’s handsets and you see where this is going.
He delivered his four-alarm one-liner during discussion about possible changes to CSA’s memorandum of understanding with Saca. Might the revenue-sharing agreement that has held between CSA and Saca for 12 years be something Moroe wants changed?
“That is for the board and its members to debate,” he said. “I just have a view on how a company should be run from the management’s point of view and how a company needs to engage with a trade union.
“Obviously I will be presenting my views to the board and it will make its decision.”
By then, all thoughts of Australians had frozen solid in the room’s conditioned air. Except this: Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association spent 10 of 2017’s 12 months locked in a pay dispute.
At issue were changes CA wanted to make to its revenue-sharing system with players, which would have left state cricketers out of pocket.
In an admirable display of solidarity, the stars stood with their less illustrious peers and things got bad enough for an Australia A tour to South Africa to be cancelled.
Was CSA not nervous that something similar might happen here, especially as a new memorandum of understanding is due to go into effect at the end of April?
“We would be, but ultimately CSA needs to run cricket and the trade union needs to protect their players’ rights,” Moroe said. Picture: Gallo Images
“If CSA is trampling on people’s rights, the union must step in. If CSA decides to take a different direction in growing cricket, there is no room for a union there because we are not trampling on people’s rights — we are protecting the sport that we have been put in charge to administer.”
What did Saca think about all that?
“The noises we are hearing from CSA are concerning and go against the spirit of how things have worked in the past,” CEO Tony Irish said. “I would be astounded if CSA take a confrontational approach to the [MoU] talks. They should look at what happened in Australia.”
Indeed, they should. CA blinked first, and happily the team Steve Smith will lead to South Africa should feature players like David Warner and Josh Hazlewood and not the Aussie equivalent of Ben Duckett.
Imagine the sledging: “G’day Shouldn’t you be on strike?” mate. ● Raheem Sterling says Manchester City are motivated by the pursuit of silverware rather than the promise of breaking more records as the Premier League leaders chase another landmark at Crystal Palace tomorrow.
Pep Guardiola’s side have already turned the title race into a lengthy coronation party after winning 18 successive league matches to open up a 15-point lead over secondplaced Manchester United.
A slew of statistical milestones have littered red-hot City’s incredible run and they can finish 2017 by claiming another notable feat. Just hours before the New Year’s Eve fireworks begin to light up the night sky tomorrow, unbeaten City will be at Selhurst Park looking for a record-equalling 19th consecutive league victory.
The only club in Europe’s five biggest leagues to have had a winning run that long is Bayern Munich under Guardiola in the 2013/14 season. But, while the historic subplots are a welcome bonus, City wing player Sterling insists it is the thought of moving another step closer to the Premier League trophy that inspires his side.
“I don’t think everyone is really too focused on records. The most important thing is the three points,” said Sterling, who scored City’s winner at Newcastle on Wednesday.
United’s failure to keep pace with City has sent José Mourinho into a grumpy mood, with the Old Trafford chief blasting his players after their recent draw at Leicester City and demanding his employers back his plan for substantial investment in new signings.
A 2-2 home draw with Burnley on Tuesday did little to lift Mourinho’s spirits, but it would have been even worse but for Jesse Lingard’s brace as the Red Devils recovered from two goals down.
Mourinho’s side are without a win in three matches in all competitions, but Lingard claims their recovery against Burnley proves the spirit is still strong ahead of today’s clash with Southampton.
Fourth-placed Liverpool host Leicester in their first match since Jurgen Klopp paid a world record £75-million for a defender to land Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk. Although 26-year-old Van Dijk can’t join Liverpool until January 1, the Dutch star’s arrival is a significant statement of intent. Champions Chelsea, who meet Stoke City today, are a whopping 16 points behind City in third place. Yet defiant defender Cesar Azpilicueta says they will keep chasing the leaders until it’s impossible to catch them.
“Apart from Manchester City, every team is having problems. We need to fight,” he said.
New Swansea City boss Carlos Carvalhal will take charge of the league’s bottom club for the first time at Watford today.