Ken Borland

Gauteng cricket’s current impasse over their new constitution is more about the entrenchment of racially-segregated chambers on the board than voting rights, according to the clubs who voted against the new Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) last week.

The main sticking point would seem to be a clause in the MOI that extends the transitional period recommended by the Langa Commission for six more years. This means the current three-chambered composition of the board – black, white and coloured/Indian clubs all voting for their own representatives – will continue.

“We’re not happy with the six-year transitional period because it means that the board will continue to be segregated into groups which is not constitutional. We’re not against the MOI as a whole, there were some good things to come out of the Langa Commission, but the document is unconstitutional at the moment. The three chambers just creates more division, but, in the spirit of compromise, we can go with the Langa recommendations for another two years,” Roger Burne, the chairman of Pirates Cricket Club, told Business Day.

Dan Phetla, the chairman of the Alexandra Cricket Club, said the six-year transitional period would just allow the current beneficiaries of the system even more opportunity to feather their own nests.

“We have an issue with it because a club like Alex has been around a long time [since 1995/96] but there is still a lot of work needed in our area. So six years is the time frame, but what are the measurable? Those wanting us to vote for the MOI are not including the other black clubs like us and they say clubs like Katlehong and Orange Farm are inconsequential. They’re not saying what must be achieved in those six years and extending the transitional period just gives more opportunity for more unaccountability,” Phetla said.

The initial challenge in getting the new MOI approved seemed to be getting the old “white” clubs and the northern black clubs, led by Alex, to agree to a new voting structure of one club, one vote, but they seem to be relaxed about this issue.

“One club, one vote is a sticking point and we put one team, one vote on the table, but it wasn’t well received. But I seriously believe we can sort that out in the next week-and-a-half,” Burne said.

“The voting structure is easily dealt with, one club, one vote is no problem,” Phetla said.

What is more chilling is that there seems to be a huge rift and power struggle between the black clubs in Gauteng, fuelled by a personality clash between Phetla and Soweto Cricket Club chairman Gordon Templeton.

While Templeton has belittled the legitimacy of Phetla as a black cricket administrator, the Alex leader has accused Soweto of channeling transformation resources to themselves and their allies at the expense of development clubs in the north.

The Concerned Cricket Fraternity, mostly comprising Soweto and their allies, had a major hand in the Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB) suspending Phetla and his Alex executive; a decision they are now fighting through Cricket South Africa’s dispute resolution process.

In the meantime, Templeton says the GCB constitution must continue with its tricameral approach giving black clubs the chance of voicing their concerns at board level.

“It’s necessary based on what happened previously. Since the Langa Commission, for the first time black clubs are speaking for themselves and each constituency has a voice on the board, which didn’t happen before. African clubs were the most disadvantaged and this is correcting the wrongs of the past.

“Based on previous experience, we need the separate chambers because, after 18 years of democracy, are we now equal in South Africa? The six-year transitional period is already a compromise because we proposed nine years. We’re dealing with correcting 300 years of wrongs and ill-gotten privileges, so how long is a piece of string?” Templeton said.

“Five million people live in Soweto, but there are only three cricket ovals, one of which, at the UJ Soweto campus, is not accessible to the general public. When will Soweto U13 to U19 teams compete with the other established schools in Gauteng and our kids don’t have to leave Soweto to make it? When these measurable and deliverables are in place, then we can scrap the transitional arrangement.”

But Phetla says the system is a farce because what happens when a mixed club like UJ –considered to be white and previously advantaged – elects an Indian chairman? Does he form part of the white chamber or the Indian chamber?

“It’s discrimination to say the black clubs must vote for black administrators, the whites most vote for whites and the Indians for Indians. It’s against the law and everyone should be able to vote for everyone. The MOI is a sound document but it’s flawed in that respect,” Phetla said.

While the failure to pass the new constitution was a blow to Gauteng cricket’s hopes of ending CSA’s partial administration of the board, CEO Cassim Docrat says it comes down to the traditionally white clubs using their loaded votes – they have nine votes each compared to just the one vote of the non-Premier League clubs – to stymie progress.

“We had a very good majority in favour of the new constitution, but seven clubs voted against it and they had the loaded vote. It’s frustrating that more than two-thirds are in favour and this objection comes to the table now at the end of the process,” Docrat said.

But both Burne and Phetla are adamant that they have expressed their concern over the MOI to Gauteng cricket for months.

Fortunately, efforts to mediate a compromise from both sides are on-going as those who voted against the MOI look to restore control of Gauteng cricket to the clubs.

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Lee Westwood will be returning for an attempt at an unprecedented hat-trick of titles, but Ernie Els has decided not to accept his invitation to this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, Sun International announced on Thursday.

While Westwood leapt at the opportunity to try and become the first golfer to win at Sun City for three successive years, returning to the Gary Player Country Club for the ninth time, local favourite Els will not be participating in the 32^nd edition of the tournament, from November 29 to December 2.

Tournament Director Alastair Roper said while it was unfortunate the resurgent Open champion would not be playing, Els had his reasons.

“Obviously as one of this year’s major winners, Ernie received an automatic invite and he was sent that immediately after the Open. In August I met with his management company and they indicated that he was finding it difficult to come back to South Africa this early in the year. He wants to spend time with the family and his kids, who will still be in school. They only break up around December 22 and he doesn’t want to take them out early,” Roper explained at the field announcement in Sandton on Thursday.

Westwood, meanwhile, the highest-ranked player in the field at number four, has apparently committed himself to becoming a regular contestant in the NGC.

“His manager, Chubby Chandler, told me that Lee has made up his mind to play at Sun City in perpetuity. He loves the course, he considers it his backyard and he doesn’t care who comes along, he believes he can beat them there. He’s been pretty unstoppable at Sun City before,” Roper said.

Invitations are sent to the defending champion, the four major winners – unfortunately none of them have accepted this year – and then according to the world rankings, the cut-off date this year being September 23. The winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit (Garth Mulroy) is also guaranteed entry.

This year the invitations went as far down as world number 35 Nicolas Colsaerts, with three South Africans (Mulroy, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel) and seven members of Europe’s triumphant Ryder Cup team cracking the nod.

Europe snatched victory from the United States on a dramatic final day at Medinah, with Justin Rose and Martin Kaymer playing key roles, while Colsaerts made a sensational Ryder Cup debut by shooting 62 as he and Westwood beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in the opening day’s fourballs. Roper believes the NGC can only benefit from the hype.

“It was a marvellous Ryder Cup and Europe’s magnificent win bodes well for us because it means all those golfers are on top of their game. They will be confident and the memories from Medinah will still be fresh in the public’s mind,” Roper said.

While Westwood, who won by a mammoth eight strokes in 2010 and by two shots over Robert Karlsson last year, is the clear favourite, world number five Rose has been in excellent recent form and loves playing in the country of his birth, having narrowly missed out on the NGC title in 2007, when he was just edged into second by Trevor Immelman.

“I think there will be real pressure on Westwood. Justin Rose is really hot at the moment, being in South Africa suits him, he has one foot here and he will feel totally at home. But Louis Oosthuizen is also in great form, he’s had a stellar second half of the year and he will certainly compete with them. Plus Colsaerts is so long off the tees that if his driver is working and he’s in the middle of the fairways, he’ll be a challenger too,” Roper said.

But South Africa’s most in-form golfer, Branden Grace, will not be in the field because he was too far down the world rankings at the September 23 cut-off.

“He wasn’t even in the top 50 when we made the cut-off, but he won just after that which pushed him up the rankings. But even at his current number 37 in the world, he wouldn’t have got in,” Roper explained.

NGC field (with current world ranking) – Lee Westwood (England, 4); Justin Rose (England, 5); Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa, 12); Peter Hanson (Sweden, 25); Paul Lawrie (Scotland, 29); Francesco Molinari (Italy, 30); Charl Schwartzel (South Africa, 31); Carl Pettersson (Sweden, 32); Martin Kaymer (Germany, 33); Bill Haas (USA, 34); Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium, 35); Garth Mulroy (South Africa, 172).

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Albie Morkel is being unfairly judged in South Africa and there is no such thing as form when it comes to his power-hitting role in twenty20s, Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming believes.

South Africa failed to fire in the ICC World T20 in Sri Lanka recently and Morkel received plenty of criticism for his role – he scored just 19 runs in three innings, but faced only 12 balls and was dismissed just once, while he bowled a paltry seven overs in four matches and conceded 70 runs and took two wickets.

The all-rounder was also controversially omitted from the South African team for their must-win match against Australia, his replacement Wayne Parnell not batting and bowling two overs for 24 runs.

“Albie seems a bit more secure with the Super Kings and he’s given us great performances all the way through the history of our franchise. We’re able to give him long stretches of games and that benefits his confidence,” Fleming says.

“It’s a lot more cut-throat at international level and he seems to be under more pressure with South Africa. It’s a talented team with a lot of multi-skilled players and they’re always trying different tactics, so perhaps he’s still searching for his role a bit.”

At the Chennai Super Kings, arguably the most successful twenty20 team ever with two IPL crowns and a Champions League title, Morkel’s role is clear – to hit the ball hard and to take wickets, operating more often than not as a strike bowler up front.

“Albie operates to a different set of rules,” Fleming, a cerebral former New Zealand captain who produced top-class results with a small resource base, says, explaining that the left-handed power-hitter is being subjected to a traditional set of expectations which no longer apply.

“A concept like form doesn’t exist in twenty20, you can throw that out the window. At Chennai, Albie would be deemed a success if he comes off in one out of five innings, scores 40 off 20 or even 18 off five. We’re able to accommodate inconsistencies in that role and even if he hits two boundaries off three balls at the death, then he’s done a job.

“Those little cameos are a major factor in twenty20, but it seems over here that Albie’s analysed in old ODI terms but there’s no such thing as form in this game,” Fleming says.

Morkel has been given some weighty responsibilities by the Super Kings, even opening the bowling, but he has seldom let them down.

“He’s really valued by us, Chennai love him and he’ll have 40 000 people screaming his name when he plays. But we have really consistent selection, we’re very conservative when it comes to selection, and sometimes you even have to apply a bit of false confidence to him,” Fleming says.

The Chennai Super Kings, winners in 2010, will be one of the favourites in the Champions League competition that kicks off properly, after the qualifying stage, with the two Group A clashes at Centurion on Saturday.

While Morkel is almost certainly going to be in their starting XI, another South African, Faf du Plessis, will be competing with Australian great Mike Hussey for a place at the top of the order.

“Mike Hussey has done very well for us, but Faf has the same sort of skills and we’ve groomed him to play the same role. He’s a very clever batsman, there’s no reason why he can’t be effective in the first six overs, he can hit over the top and improvise by coming down the track and he played very well for us in the last IPL.

“It’s a big positive that he’s backing up and competing with Mike Hussey,” Fleming says.

The South African players also have other talents which the Indian giants appreciate.

“It’s excellent to have the South African players because they arrange golf courses very well and Albie is brilliant for safaris,” the debonair Kiwi laughs.

The real usefulness of Du Plessis and Morkel being in the CSK squad though is their local knowledge.

“The conditions at this time of year mean selection is a bit of a juggling act. We have to make sure we don’t just stick to a firm plan, we have to work conditions out quickly and that’s where the South African knowledge is so useful,” Fleming says.

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw was delighted that his 100th Test victory was achieved in such compelling fashion as the All Blacks beat South Africa 32-16 in their Rugby Championship match at Soccer City in Soweto on Saturday.

The world champions scored 20 unanswered second-half points to end the tournament in style and ensure McCaw’s unique landmark was made even more memorable.

“It’s pretty special, a performance like that is why you test yourself and you have to be part of a pretty special team to win 100 Tests.

“The mental side is the most challenging thing in top sport, you have to pitch up regardless of what happened last week. We put in a good performance against Argentina and we needed to back that up if we’re going to keep progressing. I’m just delighted that we did that for the first time this year,” McCaw told a news conference after the game.

While the All Blacks had already clinched the inaugural Rugby Championship title with their 54-15 win over Argentina last weekend, Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said their performance on Saturday proved that they are worthy world champions.

“They are a great team, we were beaten by a better side today. We obviously still have a long way to go even though we’ve come up from fourth to second on the rankings.

“There’s obviously a big difference between second and first on the rankings and even though the All Blacks might play badly, they always have one or two brilliant players who get them off the hook.

“It will take a special side to beat them and they will need some luck and a referee who gives them all the 50/50 calls,” Meyer said.

The Springbok coach acknowledged that his team had simply made too many mistakes after dominating the first half to secure a 16-12 lead at the break.

“At half-time, we were in the game, we’d played the right game and kept them under pressure. But just after half-time we had a turnover against the best counter-attacking team and that put them ahead.

“Dan Carter was then superb as he controlled the game and it was very difficult for us to catch up. They forced us to take risks and the mistakes came, but they were soft moments,” Meyer complained.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said the victory was an all-round effort.

“It was a great game of rugby, it’s not often you get a performance like that against a very good South African team. It was a great victory against a great opponent.

“The whole group is working well together, we’ve got the recipe for the cake right and the mental state is great. The team is well-led by Richie, who has won 100 Tests because he has great mental strength,” Hansen said.

The All Blacks took the game to another level in the second half and McCaw said the two tries they scored between the 41st and 53rd minutes had been the decisive moments.

“We didn’t get a lot of ball in the first half, but traditionally the time just before and after the break are key. We conceded a couple of penalties just before half-time, but straight away we struck back in the second half and that gave the team a lift after we had given ourselves a pretty stern talking to in the shed. From then on we were in control,” McCaw said.