apartheid (noun).
A South African policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race.
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South Africa have just announced an increase to quotas, of what they define as “people of colour”. These changes impact the domestic squads and teams for the upcoming 14/15 cricket season.
The rules, endorsed by the Cricket South Africa (CSA) board, state that each domestic franchise must field at least 5 players of colour in each match, of which 2 must be black Africans. Provincial sides will need to field 6 non whites, of which 3 are black Africans.
This is an increase on previous levels that have been in place for the last 10 years. Full details can be found here and here
There is a stated purpose that this policy aligns with the principle of “transformation”. It implies, at its most basic level, that the South African cricketing landscape should have teams that align closer with the racial makeup of the country.
For a white non South African, the quota system raises multiple questions. None of these questions appear overly simple to answer, yet all appear to be fuelled by racial sympathies and emotional responses.
It appears from CSA’s own release on the matter that the major driver for quotas is that the “CSA is determined to grow the pool of Black African players by ensuring there is quality playing opportunities for such players in all forms of cricket”
While the quest appears to be extremely noble, it is hard to find a strong objective argument to support the quota system as a plausible way to make this happen.
It is very easy to change the optics of a cricket team’s makeup with the swipe of a pen if pressures deem that to be the required outcome. It appears that this is what the CSA have done in this instance.
However, the need for a team to be directly representative of the racial mix of the people it represents is a truly flawed idea. Especially if the concepts of earning a place on your merits, presenting the strongest possible side and reward for effort hold true.
Quotas, in the eyes of many, fail to pass the “sniff” test. Many will see this as a form of implicit racism, imparted to fix the outcomes of previous racism.
Kevin Pietersen openly admits that one reason he left South Africa was because of the quota system.
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The AFL has 68 players listed in 2014 that categorise themselves as being aboriginal.
That’s 9% of the total player pool, yet this racial group only represent 2.5% of the Australian population.
For those unfamiliar with Australian history, there are many parallels with how aboriginals in this country have been discriminated against over a long period for history. This too, has resulted in a large divide both economically, in standards of living, life expectancy and opportunity for a distinct group of people.
I am not knowledgeable enough to deeper compare the treatment of these two racial groups, except to state that both country’s are embarrassed about past policies and are actively working towards social reconciliation.
However, in sport as a minimum, a different approach has been taken to the one that the CSA appears to be going down.
Not one aboriginal player has ever earned a spot in an AFL team due to his race. Every spot has been awarded based on merit.
Key underpinning philosophies that underpin this approach are that pathways to be selected are very clear, the AFL works hard with aboriginal community engagement programs and most importantly, there has been strong leadership by those both with a voice and in power to ensure that race is not used as a reason, but as an opportunity.
The simple argument that one’s skin colour should not define their opportunities plays true in the AFL. Neither are opportunities created purely by gender, religion, sexual orientation, educational standard or any other differentiator one can conceivably create.
If you are good enough and make the appropriate effort and sacrifices, the sport will find a way to connect with you.
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As a white non South African, I can accept the argument that the issue of quotas is more complex. But should it be?
Should a nation of people accept that what can be argued as reverse racism is somehow beneficial in the long term for anyone?
Does it not create a generation of players who have been handed a privileged position in the team over another, based solely on something neither can control in their skin colour?
Does it not weaken the team overall?
Does it not create a sense of entitlement.
Why should a “coloured” person receive more benefit from a system, than say, a white person from poverty?
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The world has an amazing habit of self levelling when left alone. The past wrongs and lessons of apartheid should never be forgotten.
However, apart from an emotional response based on either personal pain, a sense of guilt or social engineering concepts, I cannot see any strong objective arguments that quotas are good for South African cricket or South African cricketers.
If the issue is optics, then those promoting that as a preferred outcome are chasing the wrong dream.
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For the sake of transparency, in my country Australia, compulsory enrolment and voting in Commonwealth elections for aborigines only came into effect in 1984.
It is also worth noting that my skin colour is white. Although my parents were born in Australia, I have Polish and English bloodlines. I am also Jewish. I have heard stories of WWII from my now late Polish Grandfather who escaped the Nazi’s, but lost his first wife and son to them. Although I did not live it, I feel connected with this part of my family history.
I have not lived in South Africa (although I have visited many times on business), nor suffered directly from any country’s racially exclusive laws (although I have at times lied to avoid their impact in Saudi Arabia), nor felt any tension from cultural differences around race in normal day to day life.
This does not mean they don’t exist.
I welcome you all to please comment below with your take.
I am extremely interested in the South African perspective (all races can freely respond. I don’t have quotas).Follow @denniscricket_
Brilliantly written. Key points, and as a South African, I am very disappointed to see this rule be put into place. Quota will now (predictably) cause a lot more KP-esque shifts of young players away from South Africa. It is extremely saddening and the quality of cricket will steadily decline until merit based systems are brought back into place, but by then the damage will have been done.
Thanks Hayden. I think the concept that the team make up must reflect the nations race mix is dangerous and fundamentally flawed.
To then engineer it that way has multiple negative effects.
The real problem with quotas in SA are not the principles that underlie them – everyone wants to grow cricket as a sport in SA, and the more we can get all South Africans behind this sport, the better. The main problem is that quotas are imposed from the top-down. The powers that be simply decree that a certain number of players need to be black, and then sit back and wait for it to happen.
The assumption of this approach – which has been alluded to on more than one occasion – is that SA contains a whole bunch of talented young black cricketers who are being prevented from representing their province and their country by racist coaches and provincial and national administrators.
Maybe I’m naive, but I don’t buy that sentiment. I think there aren’t enough talented black youngsters coming through the school ranks. The reasons for this start in the school systems.
What really needs to happen is that cricket development structures need to be put in place at school level that will not just nurture talent but simply instil a grassroots enjoyment of the game. Black kids are not playing cricket at school. And you know what? that’s not even a priority for your average underprivileged school. They have enough difficulty organising their soccer systems – a sport for which there is already a thriving cultural enthusiasm for.
If the big shots at SASCOC and CSA could spend as much energy on trumpeting cricket at school as they do at the higher levels, a real and sustainable change can happen, and quotas – like apartheid – will be an embarrassing historical mistake that future generations will look back and shake their heads over in disbelief.
Brilliant comment. CSA need to get behind someone like Mike Procter who is actively campaigning for more cricket in poor schools. On my podcast with him, he tells the story of how difficult that is.
Take a listen:
http://cantbowlcantthrow.com/cricket-legend-mike-procter/
Thanks Dennis. Will do.
The CSA correctly has identified that cricket – as one of SA’s big 3 sports, has been a little slow on the uptake among the “coloured” communities of south africa (this will be proven by how many commentors of colour this article gets). But the CSA are either too lazy or too stupid to realize that the problem is not with selection – as i can’t believe that racist coaches are preventing black players from making the first 11, the problem lies in the varying skill levels of the different race groups caused largely by previous disadvantage. Quotas will not result in more skilled players of colour flowing into our pool of international players, it will merely result in a weakened national side. Fix the problem at grassroots level. Employ better coaches at schools in rural areas. Think to the future, not to the right now.
I agree with you. Politics and sport don’t mix.
Seems to me your two basic points – the inevitable triumph of merit, and the ‘self-levelling’ tendency of society – are non-existent. White men, in a white man’s world, benefit disproportionally. Not women. Not people of colour. Not minorities. Not the disenfranchised of any stripe.
I can only commend CSA for their affirmative action. History has a price tag. Eventually it comes due. What might the balance of Australia’s population be, were it not for the decimation of Aboriginals, and waves of European migration?
Thanks for commenting Wolf. I can only stand behind the principle that policies that discriminate on race (irrespective of what noble intentions that policy may have) is racist policy.
Australia is built not just on European immigration, but also Asian, Arab and African. We have also treated our Aboriginal brothers poorly. However, in sport, we have shown a different way to allow opportunities for all that doesn’t rely on quotas.
Nice article Dennis. Quotas are never the answer. In the long run, they are more likely to be detrimental than useful.
You lived in India for a couple of years, didn’t you? You may be aware of the quota/reservation system that has been in place since the constitution of India came into effect 64 years ago. You may be aware of the Caste system which has existed in Hinduism, the majority religion in our country. Over the few thousand years in which Hinduism flourished in the subcontinent, there has been a terrible discrimination of the lower strata of the society by the upper Castes. While the reservation system was noble in its ideals & was introduced to fight against the discrimination, it has contributed a great deal to what can be acknowledged as “The brain drain”. The meritorious are denied their places in the set-up and are forced to leave the leave the country to seek opportunities abroad while the people who are born into reservations end up with jobs they feel that they are entitled to and become arrogant and complacent. A competitive system where everyone is given an equal opportunity is the best way to ensure that the cream rises to the top.
I see a parallel in the South African policies & the reservation system of the Indian constitution.
Very well-written article Dennis. I have been a fan of the Proteas since I was a child and they are the team that I usually cheer for after India.
It pains me to see this nonsensical ruling coming into effect in South Africa’s domestic cricket structure. It clearly is a sign that CSA is caving into the government demands, and it was only a matter of time before the reverse discrimination policies, that have plagued the country since the late 90’s, caught up with cricket.
If things go as the powers that be wish, I see dozens of Kevin Pietersens and Jonathan Trotts in the years to come. Even more dreadful is the thought of the Proteas, the top-ranked team in world cricket today, going the Zimbabwe way.
If the logic that CSA put forth holds true in today’s world, then the United States of America should implement it in the sport of basketball, which is dominated by African-Americans (13.2 % of the 300 million-plus population). Let’s see how the world reacts to that.
You lived in India for a couple of years, didn’t you? You may be aware
of the quota/reservation system that has been in place since the
constitution of India came into effect 64 years ago. You may be aware of
the Caste system which has existed in Hinduism, the majority religion
in our country. Over the few thousand years in which Hinduism flourished
in the subcontinent, there has been a terrible discrimination of the
lower strata of the society by the upper Castes.