Cricket South Africa banned from hosting international events

Recent reports suggest that Cricket South Africa will be banned from hosting international events. Sports Minister of South Africa Fikile Mbalula stated that the ban had been imposed simply due to the fact that the transformation guidelines have failed to have been met.

It is reported that Mbalula took the decision after receiving the annual transformation report from the eminent person group (EPG), a ministerially appointed independent committee. The ban has also extended to other sports played within the country including netball, athletics and rugby. The sanction means that the CSA cannot lobby any foreign cricketing interests without the approval of the Sports Minister.

South Africa became one of 5 countries that had signed a memorandum to have at least 5 players of color in the team. The memorandum of understanding with the sports ministry also stated a general 60% players-of-color target across national representative men’s teams. However, the Proteas Men’s cricket team reported only a 55% of colored players while 45% white and with this portraying no transformation from the time the memorandum was signed, CSA is now under a ban.

Speaking to the media, Mbalula stated that: “To ignore this from a sustainability perspective alone will be suicidal,” he added.

“The projections (for demographic representation) stretch into 2030 and 2040. We cannot have that,” he said.

He also insisted that the nation will have pay for neglecting the issue right now and added, “If we cannot mobilize the black Africanisation in our sport, we will pay the consequence in the not so distance future.”

The last time sport was isolated from the ‘Rainbow Nation’ was all those years ago in the 1970s during which time the country was divided by an apartheid governance. The ban, unfortunately, lasted for almost 22 years, resulting in the spoilage of many sporting careers for talented South Africans.

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