A range of new development programmes around the country is expected to help South Africa strengthen its schools cricket system and speed up transformation
Insufficient exposure to pressure situations at school level could be one of the factors behind South Africa's poor record in the knockout matches of major tournaments. At least that is one of the things administrators have been mulling as the national side prepares itself for next year's World Cup, and they are concentrating on strengthening the pipeline that will sustain the sport in the country in future.
"There is not enough high-intensity, serious competition in schools cricket," Haroon Lorgat, CSA's CEO said, at the launch of a regional performance centre programme in Langa, Cape Town. "Fifteen and sixteen-year-olds need to be bowling that last over with the whole school's fortune on their shoulders. When they do it then, it becomes a lot easier to face those crucial moments at international level. Some of our players face it for the first time at international level and that may be why we've struggled."
Lorgat pointed to Sri Lanka as an example of a more robust schools system which produces players who are equipped for elite level at a younger age. "In Sri Lanka, the majority of their players come competitively out of schools cricket. There is a huge gap between our schools,club cricket to international cricket," he said.
To try and bridge that gap, CSA, in partnership with local government and cricket clubs, is launching a range of development programmes around the country. It will focus on providing facilities and coaching for promising cricketers who may not have access to them otherwise.
CSA is also hoping to achieve another aim through the same methods - speed up transformation, which the country's sports ministry has emphasised over the last few months. Lorgat described the programme as a way for cricket to "access the majority of the population", a reference to the almost 80% of black Africans in the country, of whom only five have played Test cricket and only one, Makhaya Ntini, lasted for a substantial enough period to earn more than 100 caps.
The lack of black African cricketers, especially at international level, has been at the top of CSA's list of concerns and the steps it is taking to change that start at grassroots, specifically schools and clubs. More than 80% of South Africa's international players are products of previously advantaged schools, of which the country has many reputable ones, who play up to 16 matches a season. In contrast, players at disadvantaged schools manage just five matches, which leaves a vast amount of untapped talent.
The new centres will seek to change that by identifying a minimum of four junior and four senior schools in each of the 46 areas CSA has chosen for the programme. Those schools will participate in league matches at clubs, that will receive assistance to upgrade facilities, access to qualified coaches and equipment and their transport will be taken care of. They will play a minimum of 20 matches a season, and some could be against more established schools teams to ensure the level of competition is raised across the board.
Langa, just outside Cape Town, is one of the areas were the project will be rolled out. It is an area with a rich history in cricket, best documented by the one street on which Thami Tsolekile, Temba Bavuma and Malusi Siboto all lived. While Tsolekile now plays at the Lions, he will be involved in the Langa project along with Gary Kirsten and said it his goal that "cricket does not fade in our communities."
The heightened focus on transformation at lower levels does not mean CSA has ignored change higher up. This season, quotas were increased at franchise and provincial levels, where teams now have to field five and six players of colour respectively. At franchises, at least two of those five players must be black Africans while provincial teams should have at least three black Africans. "With a minority playing the game, we are the best in the world. Can you imagine how long we can sustain that if we access the majority?" Lorgat asked.
But he warned that South African fans should not take their team's status as a guarantee, especially as Australia could take the Test mace off them with a win in their forthcoming series against Pakistan. "It would be naive for us to sit back and think that because we are the No.1 team in the world today, we will stay there," Lorgat said. "If you look at West Indies, they were the best through the 1970s and 1980s and then all the other teams developed and overtook them."
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