Ken Borland

The independent arbitration panel that cleared Graeme Smith of racism allegations found that Thami Tsolekile was not selected to replace Mark Boucher in 2012 for cricketing reasons, saying the wicketkeeper/batsman himself accepted that AB de Villiers being chosen ahead of him was better for the team.

Tsolekile testified at the arbitration in support of Cricket South Africa’s claim that Smith had used his influence as captain to persuade the selectors not to include Tsolekile based on his race, after Boucher suffered the eye injury that ended his career.

But while finding that Smith, the Proteas longest-serving and most successful Test captain, did have an influence on selection, the arbitrators, advocates Ngwako Maenetje SC and Michael Bishop, ruled that he did not actively seek to exclude Tsolekile because of his race. Instead they found “it is more likely that Smith just wanted his team to win”.

Andrew Hudson, the convenor of selectors at the time and current CSA Board member, and Linda Zondi, who was also a selector before succeeding Hudson as the convenor, gave evidence that De Villiers had been selected for the tour to England in 2012 as the reserve wicketkeeper and both the selectors and coach Gary Kirsten agreed that De Villiers replacing Boucher behind the stumps would allow them to play an extra specialist batsman in JP Duminy, himself Black.

Smith was consulted about the decision and agreed with the strategy.

In Paragraph 90 of their findings, the arbitrators state: “Tsolekile … agreed with the proposition that this was ‘a strategy that will make complete sense and was something which played very strongly in favour of the Proteas cricket team’. He accepted that there were ‘very good cricketing reasons to prefer AB de Villiers to yourself for the position in the Test starting XI’.”

CSA then tried to change their argument and alleged Smith was guilty of discrimination by omission because he had an obligation to speak out on behalf of Tsolekile because the wicketkeeper/batsman was previously disadvantaged.

But the arbitrators found this change of tack was prejudicial to Smith, describing it as “a trap sprung on him” and they also criticised CSA for making submissions that were inconsistent with the facts.

The arbitrators did have sympathy for Tsolekile, describing his non-selection as “unfair” and his subsequent involvement in a matchfixing scandal as only “exacerbating the tragedy” of his story of adversity.

A talent as rich as Dewald Brevis is never going to be localised for long, but the 18-year-old will at least be based in Centurion for the next two seasons, the Northerns Titans having contracted him for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns.

Brevis announced himself on the global stage in the U19 World Cup at the start of the year, being named Player of the Tournament after lashing two centuries and three fifties. It almost immediately led to the Mumbai Indians snapping him up for this year’s Indian Premier League.

And Brevis has also introduced himself to that dazzling competition in style, his blistering 49 off 25 balls against the Punjab Kings in midweek including a 112m six, the biggest of the tournament so far. One imagines other T20 franchises around the world will be keen to get their hands on him.

But for now, his first priority will have to be with the Northerns Titans, who first blooded him in intra-squad T20 games when he was just 17, during which he scored a 40-ball half-century against their first-choice attack.

The fact the Brevis signature is now sitting in the office of Titans CEO Jacques Faul at SuperSport Park will also end speculation that England are about to poach him.

Northerns fans will also be able to witness the talents of another extremely exciting T20 player at SuperSport Park next season in Donovan Ferreira, who has been granted his first provincial contract.

The Titans have also confirmed that veteran spinner Aaron Phangiso will be staying with them, after some speculation that he would be moving on.

Two players are leaving Northerns – batsman/wicketkeeper Gihahn Cloete is going back to the Free State Knights and opening batsman Grant Mokoena, fresh off scoring the most runs in the Titans’ triumphant four-day campaign (482 @ 48.20), has decided to join North-West.

Some people wondered how incumbent Test spinner Keshav Maharaj would react once former Kolpak star Simon Harmer became available again for the Proteas, and it is undeniable that choosing both of them has been a tremendous success which has brought the best out of the left-arm spinner.

Maharaj and Harmer played in the same Proteas XI for the first time against Bangladesh and they ended up claiming 29 of the 40 wickets to fall as South Africa won both Tests by convincing margins.

For his part, Player of the Series Maharaj, who took 16 wickets and scored 108 runs, is certainly a Harmer fan.

“It’s always nice having a spinner at the other end and Simon is a world-class performer,” Maharaj said. “He has shown how much he has grown on the county circuit.

“He has also shown why he belongs in international cricket, not just because of his bowling but because of how he is a team man and especially his lower-order runs in both Tests.

“Under pressure having returned to Test cricket, he showed why he’s world-class and I am really happy for him. I know there will be a time when he gets a lot more rewards,” Maharaj said.

In the absence of Kagiso Rabada, Maharaj was very much the leader of the Proteas attack and he said his success was basically down to him repeating the same things he does at domestic level.

“I’m just happy that it was a really good Test season, we crossed the line although the conditions were difficult and did not suit us. Credit to the team for responding well in all disciplines,” Maharaj said.

“After not taking wickets in the first innings in Durban, Dean Elgar and Mark Boucher had a chat with me and said I was doing the right things and my time will come.

“I just tried to repeat my processes from what I’ve done in domestic cricket, with a few minor tweaks here and there for international cricket. I just tried to replicate what I had done before.

“As a team as well, it’s been about keep doing the right things in terms of culture and skill. Dean has done really well in his first season as captain, he’s a fighter and a character, which is what we needed,” Maharaj said.

A successful choir obviously needs everyone singing together in complementary fashion and the Proteas’ success over the last summer has certainly been a team effort, but coach Mark Boucher has spoken of the importance of having the two captains, Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma, singing from the same hymn sheet.

Since the unfortunate experiment with Quinton de Kock as captain, Elgar and Bavuma have taken over the red and white-ball sides respectively for the last 13 months and the split captaincy has worked well, although the consistency of the limited-overs side has perhaps left something to be desired.

“Dean and Temba came in as leaders in a tough time,” Boucher said. “They are completely different characters, but they have rubbed off on each other. They feed off each other and they speak to each other a lot.

“They have also both been in really good form with the bat and have been leading from the front.

“What’s been particularly good is that they are on the same page when it comes to where they want to take South African cricket,” Boucher said.

Elgar said the success of the Test team has helped to ease the burden of captaincy, which is never easy when there is so much going on off the field to deal with.

“Everything good comes with a challenge and I like challenges,” Elgar said. “That’s why I’m still playing Test cricket at nearly 35 years old and I feel my best cricket is still ahead of me.

“If I was younger, maybe I wouldn’t enjoy the captaincy as much. It has been extremely testing off the field, but I have an amazing core of players around me, they respect and understand me as a person.

“I think we’re in a very special place as a team and that leads to me being a lot happier with what I’m doing. Getting results and playing good, strong cricket, definitely eases the burden of captaincy,” Elgar said.

Elgar and Boucher are both hard-nosed leaders who would perhaps not be out of place training recruits in the marine corps. And they have both suggested the players who went to the IPL instead of playing in the Bangladesh series will not automatically get their Test places back.

“I don’t think it’s fair to just say they come back,” Elgar said. “The guys playing now have made a massive statement. We have a decent batting pool now.

“Someone like Ryan Rickelton has taken to Test cricket pretty well, he’s had a taste and now understands it. Even if the intensity was not quite what it will be playing England.

“But it’s out of my hands whether the IPL guys get selected again,” Elgar said.

“The IPL guys did vacate their spots and there is now good competition for those spots. It’s a nice position to be in,” Boucher said.