Linda Zondi says it was unfair to exclude him from shortlist
Former Cricket SA convener of selectors Linda Zondi, says he was treated unfairly after he was excluded from the shortlist for the position.
Zondi, who joined the selection group in 2013 when he graduated from the Under-19 set-up, wasn’t part of the group of candidates that was interviewed for the post, which he had occupied from 2015 until last year.
While he was in limbo after last year’s disastrous Cricket World Cup in England, he rejoined the national team on a short term contract until the end of the 2019-2020 summer.
His position was re-advertised in April and last week, former selector Hussein Manack, SA Under-19 convener of selectors Victor Mpitsang and Patrick Moroney were interviewed.
“I was told that I received the lowest score in the November interviews. That was used to justify that I didn’t qualify this time round.
“I did apply, but wasn’t shortlisted based on the interview I had last year. Graeme Smith (director of cricket) told me he wasn’t involved in the HR processes, but his answers seemed to point differently ,” Zondi said.
“It’s unfair. It’s really unfair. I mean, there were people who took part in that same interview process who are no longer with the organisation. Thabang Moroe was part of that process and he ended up being suspended.
“How do you take the results of an interview conducted by people who are no longer at CSA and use that as a yardstick to judge a current job application? It’s really unfair.”
Cricket SA’s acting head of communications and media Lucy Davey, said the organisation needed to appoint the best possible candidate for the position, while it also wasn’t unusual for positions to be readvertised.
“It is a very important position and we wanted to make sure that we secured the best possible candidate.
“It is not unusual to re-advertise in such circumstances. The November process was not concluded, and we exercised our right to expand the pool of applicants,” Davey said.
“The interview process between CSA and the applicants is confidential.
“The position of the convener of selectors was publicly readvertised in April 2020. The job criteria, including the main duties and essential requirements, were contained in the advertisement.”
A number of the SA Under-19 players who passed through Zondi’s guidance have become fully fledged and essential members of the national team.