JOHANNESBURG — Cricket South Africa (CSA) is to invest R200 million per year in transformation and pipeline strategies to develop domestic players, of which a large part is focused on nurturing talent from previously disadvantaged areas, said Haroon Lorgat, chief executive officer of CSA, in an exclusive interview with supersport.com
Transformation and quotas were put firmly in the spotlight in April when Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula said he wanted to see 60% black representation in national teams.
After the meeting of Mbalula and the sports MECs in April 2014, it was reported that new regulations would come into practice where sports teams, including the South African cricket team, who do not field 60% black players will be barred from representing South Africa.
Lorgat said CSA understands the link between sustainability, growth and transformation and the necessity for these strategic imperatives to be an integral part of everything that is done at CSA.
“We do not view transformation in a narrow sense and hence, on the cricket development front, it would be incorrect to try to separate transformation goals from our broader CSA pipeline strategies or development.
“In this area we invest around R200 million per annum in developing cricketers and naturally a large part of this spend is focused on nurturing talent from previously disadvantaged areas,” he said.
“In addition to the pipeline programme, CSA recognises the need for particular initiatives to assist transformation specific goals. We therefore set aside additional funds and programmes to help us to access talent in previously disadvantaged areas.
“An example of such spend will be the R17 million per annum on the centres of excellence [COE] and the strategic transformation fund of R10 million per annum,” said Lorgat.
Lorgat hinted that it was almost more important for CSA to grow the game and to ensure a greater pool of SA players than merely redress the moral wrongs of the past.
