MIKE FINCH, Johannesburg | Tuesday 9.00am.
SOUTH African cricket chief Dr Ali Bacher pledged on Monday to include black players in the national team whenever possible after criticisms of its racial make-up.
He said fringe players would be included in the squad at every opportunity.
“The policy remains that the national team should be a team of colour,” Bacher said. “Wherever an opportunity arises we will bring the peripheral players, both black and white, on to the field of play.”
Bacher explained that in the case of a one-day series, in which South Africa had already qualified for the final, any remaining round-robin games should be used to blood new talent.
The make-up of the team that trounced West Indies earlier this year was heavily criticised by politicians for its virtually all-white make-up.
Bacher also revealed that former national coach Bob Woolmer will not be lost to South African cricket after his contract expired at the end of this year’s World Cup.
Woolmer will be used to coach players on the fringe of the national squad, talent-spot junior and coloured players, and assist provincial coaches.
Bacher added that a conference involving South Africa’s contracted players, selectors, council members and members of the United Cricket Board’s transition monitoring committee will discuss the future of the sport at a conference before October.
A chairman to replace Peter Pollock in the selectors committee will be interviewed over the next three weeks. Former South African all-rounders Clive Rice and Mike Procter are in the running for the job but former captain Kepler Wessels has not decided whether to apply. — MWP