Selection controversy dominates South African press

United Cricket Board president Percy Sonn's decision to drop a white player in favour of a black young prospect dominated front and editorial pages in South Africa's newspapers on Thursday.

Sonn vetoed the inclusion of Jacques Rudolph in the South African team selected to play Australia in the third Test in Sydney, and insisted that Justin Ontong be picked instead.

Sonn cited the South African constitution's emphasis on human rights and the UCB's commitment to providing opportunities to players from South Africa's black communities as reasons for his decision. The team was amended accordingly.

"Cricket war at fever pitch," was the lead headline on the Pretoria News' front page. "We can forget winning next year's cricket World Cup - on South African soil - if the UCB continues interfering in the game as it has this week," its report began.

Durban daily the Mercury also carried a front page report, and a comment piece on its editorial page by the Independent Group's tour correspondent, Patrick Compton.

The piece was headlined "It's not easy to win both ways", and began with, "The brutal truth about the Justin Ontong selection controversy is that the goals of transformation and the goals of maintaining a winning national cricket team are not always compatible.

POOR SHOWING
"There is little doubt that part of the reason for South Africa's poor showing in Australia is that the players feel that they are being mishandled, misunderstood and under appreciated by South Africa's politically-minded administrators...

"When you leave on a tour to Australia, there is only room for one thought: victory. And that means the merit principle must overrule every other consideration.

"There have been public noises from the UCB that winning against the world champions is important, but there are others who say this is a smokescreen. That the team has been given the strong impression that, ultimately, transformation is more important than winning."

Independent Group papers also published a story in which sports minister Ngconde Balfour's spokesman, Graham Abrahams, was quoted as saying, "If this was any other player but a black player, would we have had this media frenzy?"

Former Test batsman Graeme Pollock, a national selector and South Africa's official "cricketer of the century", also took issue with Sonn's decision.

"I think Justin has good cricketing ability and that he has a future, but that doesn't mean that picking him for the Test team right now is the correct decision," Pollock was quoted as saying in the Independent Group papers.

"I don't believe we always think carefully enough about the player himself. How does Justin feel about playing when he knows many of his friends think he's just playing for political reasons?"

Former Test off spinner Pat Symcox was also critical of Sonn's actions.

"We can't have our cake and eat it," the Independent Group quoted Symcox as saying. "We have to decide whether we want to be in line with the UCB's goals of being the best team in the world, winning World Cups, and pleasing spectators, supporters, sponsors and all the role-players.

"On the other hand we are trying to appease political aspirations, which is not very fair on the players."

A front page report in the Cape Times included a quote from former left arm spinner Omar Henry: "I'm not sure of the exact facts coming out of Australia.

"But I am very disappointed in the people in this country who are meant to be taking cricket forward - it has taken a presidential veto to give Justin his chance."

South Africa have lost the first two Tests on the Australian tour and the home side are in a very strong position in the final Test, having made 554 in their first innings.

Also read:
- Percy Sonn defends Ontong's selection
- UCB ordered selectors to pick Ontong

Mail Cricket Editor