CRICKET SHOULD PRIORITISE INCLUSION, DIVERSITY

Team Eswatini has returned home ‘empty-handed’ from the 2023 Africa Cricket Association (ACA) Africa T20 Cup qualifying tournament.

The qualification process consists of a series of three cricket tournaments, organised by the ACA. They will determine the eight teams that will advance to the 2023 ACA Africa T20 Cup.
The country got the ‘wooden spoon’ after a disastrous showing against the likes of Malawi, Mozambique and Mauritius. It was bound to be a tough outing against the tricky opponents. While taking lessons for future tournaments, the country’s cricket leadership should also confront the elephant in the room. That is none other than the issue of inclusion and diversity. The composition of the team doing duty for Team Eswatini left much to be desired. In the 14-member squad selected for the showdown, only two were indigenous emaSwati.

resurgence

While there is resurgence in the sport, especially administratively, there is still need to convince all and sundry about the commitment to an environment where all are welcome, irrespective of race, colour, creed or gender. There is a need to maintain and continuously improve an environment that is fair and respectful, where people from different backgrounds feel accepted and valued. The need for an environment that recognises and embodies the fact that everyone is worthy of being heard and in which all can thrive cannot be overstated. The only thing that separates one person from another is opportunity. There is still homework of working harder to create a culture where each person feels seen, heard and supported. Cricket should be a sport for all and celebrate diversity and inclusion.   Serious commitment to a better future for all should be there for everyone to see. They should subscribe to the maxim which says: ‘We celebrate success together; and we suffer pain, hardship and losses together.’

It becomes a cause for concern when the native players get sidelined and the results are still not forthcoming. As the country reflects on the overall performance, the composition of the team should form part of the review. In South Africa, for instance, rugby became a marker for inclusion. It was a sight to behold, as the Springboks’ first black Captain, Siya Kolisi, hoisted the trophy from the Rugby World Cup – which the team won in 2019 – over his head to thunderous applause in Soweto. The symbolism was hard to miss. The Springboks’ win, and their visit to Soweto, also confirmed something to may; rugby did not just belong to white people anymore. For black rugby players and fans there, that feeling of inclusion mattered immensely. Back in 2020, it was reported that South Africa was set to bring in tougher transformation targets. It was reported that South Africa’s national teams faced tougher transformation targets aimed at ensuring that by the 2022-23 season, they fielded a side with seven players of colour.

measures

The new measures may have already kicked in, although yet to be made public, and see an increased requirement on the number of black African players in the team this season, which will ultimately only leave room for four white players in an XI. Since targets were reintroduced after the 2015 World Cup, the  South African national men’s team have been required to include six players of colour of which at least two must be black African, but they do not need to have that combination in every game. Instead, the target is calculated on average over the course of a season, which allows for some flexibility in selection. While that accommodation will remain, in a presentation made to the country’s Sports Minister at the time, Nathi Mthethwa, the percentage of black African players required in the team wa now 25 per cent (up from 18 per cent). The following season, 2021-22, the percentage increased to 27 per cent. In the 2022-23 season, it was at 33 per cent.

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