****Advice sorted from Gina****

Gina,

Do not mean to put the focus on you in the least but within this forum we constantly hear about the South African issue. We know the majority of the population is Black, we know about the apartheid and reconciliation processes. Notwithstanding these issues how far has SA come in terms of infrastructure/ access to Cricket for the masses to include all especially Black Kids.

I know if you decide to respond you will be speaking for yourself based on your knowledge and observations but how interested are Blacks in Cricket?

Do you have a view on the Quota system and what are the local feelings about this?

Are there many Black players in your first class system?

I just thought as you are closer to the issues you may be able to assist with a shared understanding and perhaps dispel some of the misconception some here may have.

Any other SAan or someone with genuine local knowledge will do.

I'm not really sure I can give you all the information that you want.

There is certainly increasing interest in cricket among the black population and a lot of that is probably due to the success of Makhaya Ntini. That said, I've noticed that when young black cricket fans are seen on television their role models are often some of the white players.

I'm not sure what the infrastructure is like and it's probably better in some areas than others, but I'm sure there is room for improvement. I haven't been following the first class game that closely so I don't really know that much about the players who haven't yet broken into the national team.

I'm sure that opinions are divided on the quota system, but clearly there is a need for it in the domestic game at the moment. I just hope that they persist with the best players rather than trying out new ones all the time just to fill those quotas.

Are you base d in South Africa Gina?

Affirmative action is not intended to last forever. In the case of SA, if the infrastructure to allow access is not in place then it all collapses.

Yes, I've lived in South Africa my whole life.

Unfortunately there are more important things that need fixing and perhaps affirmative action in cricket shouldn't be a priority when there are people starving and children who aren't getting an adequate education. At best affirmative action can only improve the lives of a few young players who already had the 'privilege' of learning to play the game.

Gina,


There are many more important things in life but affirmative action neither creates nor worsen the issue of starvation or education. I therefore fail to see any correlation between affirmative action and the ills of society. in fact if anything it will raise the morale of a population.


Affirmative action has seen women in the workplace given opportunities. There again this action did not create nor worsen the issues of war, hunger, poor education, rape etc.


When you talk of privilege in South Africa you know the score.


The unjust distribution of wealth results in illiteracy, starvation and other ills of society and in the case of certain countries that distribution is amongst a small minority of people in morally corrupt systems.


Affirmative action for women in Europe occurred at a time when Apartheid was at full swing, the IRA were on the rampage and another middles east crisis but it happened as it did neither created nor worsen those problems.


In my humble view reparations are owed to the Blacks of South Africa in all walks of life but it needs to be done in a balanced and equitable way.

Mail, I agree with what you say, but if there is limited money to be spent, then I don't think spending it on putting better cricket infrastructure in place is the top priority. Affirmative action in domestic cricket is necessary, but it will only benefit a few people.

Reparations need to be done to ALL blacks, not just the select few who have become very rich.

One other thing. Makhaya Ntini actually came from extreme poverty and who knows what awful kind of life he would be leading now if it wasn't for cricket. But he was lucky enough to be discovered in his early teens and sent to a good cricket school.

To find black players who are good enough to represent South Africa they really need to start with the youth. It is happening, but I don't know whether any of those players are old enough yet play at the highest level.

Mail ....i dont think this apply any longer to Cricket clubs :