Ken Borland

Racial tensions have been laid bare in South African cricket over the last 48 hours with 31 former Black players and five current Black coaches sending a letter to Cricket South Africa urging them to support the Black Lives Matter movement and confront racial divides in the game, while the president of the players’ association, Omphile Ramela, sent a letter to the sports minister asking him to throw the lawbook at the organisation for their lack of transformation.

Cricket South Africa, through their acting CEO Jacques Faul, have already issued a statement saying they stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Former franchise players have provided a window into their experiences of racial discrimination as well, with their overwhelming narrative being that systemic racism upholds and perpetuates all the past wrongs.

The Titans, perhaps because they have been the most successful franchise, but more probably because Faul and Proteas coach Mark Boucher come from there, have attracted the most attention. Ethy Mbhalati, the leading wicket-taker in Titans history whose career ended in 2015 due to his involvement with matchfixing, said “there is institutionalised racism at Northerns” and “unfortunately when you questioned things, the system kicked you out and we were scared to lose our jobs”.

But Tebogo Siko, the current president of the Northerns Cricket Union and Titans cricket, has been involved in the administration of the franchise for many years.

“I can tell you that the Northerns Board is 70% Black and if the structures were blocking change then I don’t think that would have happened. Of course we are never in a position to say the status quo must stay the same, but the Titans seem to be being attacked left, right and centre based on our achievements. Which include having a Black coach [Mandla Mashimbyi] and assistant coach [Geoff Toyana],” Siko told The Citizen on Wednesday afternoon.

Siko also issued a statement on Wednesday responding directly to Mbhalati’s claims: “We’ve recently come to learn of the experiences of racial discrimination, cultural bias and remuneration bias Mr Mbhalati was faced with. There was never a formal complaint laid by Mr Mbhalati and this makes it difficult for us to deal with such a matter. We can also go on record and say Mr Mbhalati was among the top earners at the franchise towards the end of his career.

“The history of South Africa is a very dark one and we are well aware that remnants of our past live on 26 years later. It is clear that in our society people still battle with the difficulties from pre-1994 and some of these difficulties are experienced even within the game we love. As citizens of South Africa, we understand what we have been through and as a union and franchise we acknowledge that past and where we are currently. With this having been said, it is important that we make it clear that we do not tolerate racism and discrimination of any sort at franchise level, provincial, or anywhere within our pipeline.

“We have never had any complaints of racism in the past or in the present. Players and staff are aware of the processes they need to go through to lay a complaint. Our board has a Transformation and Ethics Committee, which is responsible for dealing with such matters should they arise,” Siko said.

Typical of the nation-building, reconciling force for unity he has always been, former Proteas batting star Hashim Amla made a rare foray on to social media in order to back Lungi Ngidi’s call to support BLM and also state that he stands with all those who are oppressed.

“The Black Lives Matter campaign has relevance for everyone. The person who believes the imagined superiority of Whites over Blacks or Blacks over Whites, or one nationality over another, is simply delusional. Many of us, including myself, have borne the brunt of these delusions and have crazy stories to tell, which is why it makes it even more admirable to see exceptional youngsters like Lungi Ngidi doing his bit to represent us all.

“The end product of being racist is only self-destruction.There are oppressed people here in this country and the world over, of all colours and walks of life, cricket included. However the darker-skinned people have had the worst of it. I stand with all those who are oppressed. And I stand with Lungi Ngidi,” Amla said.

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Batsmen will be able to relieve their tensions but it will be a nervewracking few days for bowlers when the Global Softech Sixes kicks off at SuperSport Park this morning.

The first two days of action is dedicated to the Franchise Challenge, to be followed by the Africa Challenge on Saturday and Sunday.

Given that the boundaries have been brought in by at least 25% at SuperSport Park, the five-over games are going to be all about sixes and batsmen should have plenty of fun watching the ball soar out of the playing arena – even a well-timed defensive stroke is likely to clear the fence.

For the poor bowlers, there is the very real possibility of being hit for the dreaded six sixes in an over.

“We were joking that if you get hit for six fours in an over, you’re probably winning!” Unlimited Titans captain Henry Davids told The Pretoria News yesterday. “Batsmen are going to be trying to hit practically every ball for six, so it’s going to be exciting. But it’s big pressure for the bowlers and it’s very different to even T20 because that’s played on a normal ground.”

If one over can change the course of a match in T20 cricket, then it stands to reason that one delivery – a wicket or a dot-ball – will do the same in Sixes. So a premium is once again being placed on skills, especially those of the bowlers, because mis-hits are also going to carry for six at the new-look SuperSport Park this week.

“Whoever hits the most sixes is probably going to win and one good over will make all the difference. So if a bowler can bowl a good over in Sixes then he knows he can do a great over in T20 or one-day cricket, so he can look forward to those competitions with confidence,” Davids said.

The six franchises will play each other, with three games each today and two tomorrow, before handing over to the national teams of South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe on Saturday and Sunday.

Some fine international cricketers have come over the border to compete in the inaugural Global Softech Sixes Africa Challenge, including Namibians Sarel Burger, Gerrie Snyman and Christi Viljoen, Zimbabwe’s Malcolm Waller and Timycen Maruma, and Kenyans Nehemiah Odhiambo and Collins Obuya. Two well-known figures in South African domestic cricket, Kenyan legend Steve Tikolo and former KZN Dolphins opener Doug Watson, who is coaching Namibia, will be returning to SuperSport Park, where both have scored centuries over the years.

While it will all be huge fun for batsmen and spectators, bowlers might be contemplating turning to religion as they are thrown into the lions’ den.

Squads

Titans: Farhaan Behardien, Albie Morkel, Dean Elgar, Roelof van der Merwe, Mangaliso Mosehle, Henry Davids, David Wiese.

Cape Cobras: Justin Ontong, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Aviwe Mgijima, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas.

Highveld Lions: Temba Bavuma, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen, Jean Symes, Shaylen Pillay, Pumelela Matshikwe.

Warriors: Colin Ingram, Ryan Bailey, Lundi Mbane, Basheer Walters, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rusty Theron, Christiaan Jonker.

Knights:  Shadley van Schalkwyk, Reeza Hendricks, Tumelo Bodibe, Pite van Biljon, Dillon du Preez, Malusi Siboto, Quinton Friend, Werner Coetsee.

Dolphins: Cameron Delport, Keshav Maharaj, Khaya Zondo, Morné van Wyk, Robbie Frylinck, Sibonela Makhanya, Thandi Tshabalala.

*South Africa’s squad for the Africa Challenge will only be chosen after the Franchise Challenge.

Kenya: Rakep Patel, Shem Ngoche, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Collins Obuya, Nelson Odhiambo, Narendra Patel, Alex Obanda.

Namibia: Nicolaas Scholtz, Sarel Burger, Raymond van Schoor, Gerrie Snyman, JP Kotze, JJ Smit, Christi Viljoen.

Tanzania: Abhik Patwa, Hamisi Abdallah, Khalil Rehemtulla, Nasibu Mapunda, Kassim Mussa, Goodluck Tandika, Benson Nyaikini.

Uganda: Frank Nsubuga, Deusdedit Muhumuza, Roger Mukasa, Daniel Ruyange, Brian Masaba, Arnold Otwan, Jonathan Sebanja.

Zimbabwe: Forster Mutizwa, Malcolm Waller, Timycen Maruma, Kevin Kasuza, Stephen Trenchard, Roy Kaia, Carl Mumba.

Fixtures

Today: 10h00 Cobras v Knights; 10h50 Titans v Warriors; 11h40 Dolphins v Lions; 12h30 Warriors v Cobras; 13h20 Lions v Titans; 14h10 Knights v Dolphins; 15h00 Cobras v Lions; 15h50 Titans v Dolphins.

Tomorrow: 10h00 Warriors v Knights; 10h50 Dolphins v Cobras; 11h40 Knights v Titans; 12h30 Warriors v Lions; 13h20 Titans v Cobras; 14h10 Warriors v Dolphins; 15h00 Knights v Lions; 16h10 Franchise Sixes final.

Saturday: 10h00 Kenya v Namibia; 10h50 Uganda v Tanzania; 11h40 South Africa v Zimbabwe; 12h30 Tanzania v Kenya; 13h20 Zimbabwe v Uganda; 14h10 Namibia v South Africa; 15h00 Kenya v Zimbabwe; 15h50 Uganda v South Africa.

Sunday: 10h00 Tanzania v Namibia; 10h50 South Africa v Kenya;11h40 Namibia v Uganda; 12h30 Tanzania v Zimbabwe; 13h20 Uganda v Kenya; 14h10 Tanzania v South Africa; 15h00 Namibia v Zimbabwe; 16h10 Africa Sixes final.