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Proteas: Arthur gets his way
11/02/2008 17:53 - (SA)
Johannesburg - After a week of wrangling, South African coach Mickey Arthur got the squad he wanted for this month's tour of Bangladesh.
Cricket South Africa on Monday named the same 14-man squad which was twice rejected by CSA president Norman Arendse last week because he did not believe it adequately followed the body's transformation policy.
There are only four players of colour in the squad, announced just two days before the squad departs.
South Africa will play two Test matches and three one-day internationals. The squad is expected to show several changes for the one-day internationals.
Notably missing is opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs, who was dropped for Neil McKenzie.
Gibbs, a coloured player, scored a century in the final one-day international against the West Indies eight days ago but has struggled in Test matches over the past three seasons, with a faulty technique and slowing reflexes blamed for his lack of reliable form.
McKenzie was one of three players who had to pass fitness tests on Monday before the squad was finalised. The others were batsman Hashim Amla and fast bowler Andre Nel.
The squad was announced without any comments from officials but in terms of protocol Arendse would have had to approve it before it was released.
Repudiated by Gerald Majola
In rejecting the squad last week, Arendse said it was Cricket SA policy that seven players of colour should be in a touring party.
Arendse announced on Saturday that Arthur had been dropped from the selection panel following a meeting of Cricket SA's general council.
He was almost immediately repudiated by chief executive Gerald Majola, who said it was in Arthur's contract that he was a selector.
Majola said Arthur, assistant coach Vincent Barnes and captain Graeme Smith would all be part of the panel that selected the squad in addition to three selectors appointed by Cricket SA.
This was in direct contradiction to Arendse and the council who ruled Saturday that only the three appointed selectors would make the decision.
Arthur said while the row with Arendse was carrying on last week that he wanted consistency of selection with tours of India, England and Australia following the relatively undemanding challenge of Bangladesh.
The final squad shows only two changes from that which won a Test series in Pakistan last October. McKenzie replaces Gibbs, while off-spinner Johan Botha was selected in place of retired all-rounder Shaun Pollock.
"The players believe that the integrity of the selection
process has been kept intact by the fact that the squad for
Bangladesh is in fact the squad selected by the selectors," the
chief executive of the South African Cricketers' Association,
Tony Irish, told Reuters.
Squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Ashwell Prince (vice-capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Morne Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn.
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