Extract from a Management Committee meeting held on 31 August 2007 at the Premier Conference Centre, O.R. Tambo Airport.

 

 

 

2.             SELECTION POLICY

 

In attendance for this item were MANCO Members and National Coach Mickey Arthur, Proteas’ Captain Graeme Smith and National Convenor of Selectors Joubert Strydom.

 

NA said the purpose of the meeting was to clear lines of communication and procedures regarding CSA selection policy.  He said this was the second meeting, the first of which outlined procedures and policy which could be summarised as follows:

 

·         The best available team should be selected.

·         CSA wants the Proteas to be world No.1.

·         Teams must reflect the diversity of the South African nation and the people who play cricket in South Africa.

·         Those selected must be there on pure ability.

·         No policy is cast in stone – targets are set and can be changed if the motivation is accepted by the President.  There are no quotas.

·         It must be remembered that sport played a critical role in bringing down apartheid.

·         Sport in general, and cricket in particular, now had an important role to play in nation-building and addressing the imbalances of the past.

·         When SA played international cricket in 1991 there was an understanding that the team was all White, but this would change to reflect the diversity of the new South Africa.

·         A general rule is that, should a White player be performing at an average level, then the Black player should be affirmed.

·         The selectors have been appointed by the Board of Directors of CSA (Pty) Ltd and there is a clear understanding that the selectors pick the team and the President would defer to this selection.  The President would only exercise his veto if CSA policy was not adhered to or if he did not accept explanations as to why targets were not met.

 

NA outlined procedures to be followed regarding the selection and announcement of teams.

 

·         Once the team had been selected, it would be sent to the President as he is the custodian of CSA’s policy.

·         The team is then finalised and selected.

·         The Convenor, in conjunction with the Coach if necessary, then engages those players who have been omitted and those who have been newly selected – this happen only after the President has accepted the team.

·         The team is then handed by the Convenor to the Communications Department or the Media Liaison Officer for media distribution.

·         It is the Convenor who will give public explanations on the selection of the team.

 

NA said that all selectors had to take collective responsibility for the team that was finally selected and announced.  Individual selectors must not publicly or privately express their preferences out of committee once the team had been finalised and announced.

 

JS said all the selectors, captain and coach accepted CSA’s policy and procedures.  He also tabled the minutes of the earlier meeting between MANCO and the selectors on similar subjects.  He requested from the CEO’s office this season’s GENCO player representivity targets across the board and the monitoring system.

 

         Item 2 Resolution:

 

         MANCO and the National Selectors reaffirmed their commitment to GENCO policies and procedures regarding the selection and announcement of Protea teams.