Schools SA20 shows Cricket SA transformation can prosper organically

Cricket South Africa have copped plenty of abuse recently – and rightly so – for their role in the Warriors being deducted points for not adhering to the transformation policies of the 1-Day Cup.

That ultimately led to the Gqeberha-based team being eliminated from the competition by having their semi-final status revoked.

The management of the entire situation could and should have been much better.

Personally, I do feel that the Warriors transgressed, and were guilty of not conforming to the competition regulations.

However, laws are sometimes meant to be challenged if they are deemed unjust, with the Warriors now leaving the ball in Cricket SA’s court with regards to reviewing an outdated transformation policy that has been in place for over a decade.

Much of the abuse CSA have had to endure is that their efforts – or perceived lack thereof – at grassroots level is the root cause of the transformation problems.

There’s no doubt much more can be done in the various communities and townships to foster the love for a game that takes not only hours of dedication and training, but also major financial assistance to prosper.

But Cricket SA also gets things right, and that is often overlooked.

And this past week, with the assistance of its sibling Betway SA20 that brought its considerable expertise to the table, the Schools SA20 national finals at the University of Pretoria campus was staged.

A competition that started back in September with almost 400 boys teams and over 200 girls teams initially participating culminated in spectacular fashion last Saturday on the Tuks Main Oval.

There will be critics that will point to the fact that two of the most expensive – and best resourced – private schools in the country in Bishops Diocesan College and Steyn City School were the inaugural winners of the boys and girls competitions as just another case of the fat cats drinking all the milk.

Closer inspection will, however, show that Bishops in fact had six players of colour, including the competition’s top batter and SA Under-19 international Adnaan Lagadien, in their starting XI, with four of them having graduated from Cricket SA’s Hub programme before being offered a bursary.

The benefits of this are limitless, as it’s not only an opportunity to further their cricket careers, but also an undoubted life-changing experience.

But what about the other Hub boys, you may ask, who aren’t fortunate enough to get this kickstart? Are they just left behind?

Not at all. Schools SA20 made special provision for a CSA Hub Invitational XI to be included in the competition.

While obviously not playing together as regularly as the rest of the school teams, the CSA Hub Invitational XI had adequate preparation by playing in the prestigious Michaelmas tournament last year.

That clearly showed, as the boys played some exceptional cricket over the four days at the Schools SA20, and were desperately unlucky to miss out on a place in the semi-finals on Net Run-Rate to eventual runners-up St David’s Marist Inanda.

In fact, the CSA Hub Invitational XI were the only team to defeat Bishops in the competition.

It was certainly fascinating to watch Bishops’ star all-rounder Waco Bassick, who hails from the Tygerberg Cricket Club in Ravensmead in Cape Town – the same hunting ground of Proteas legend Vernon Philander – go head-to-head against some of his former Hub teammates.

The next generation of CSA Hub boys may yet even have the opportunity to attend Bishops due to the SA20, and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), as part of the prize for winning the Schools SA20 competition, awarding a full scholarship to a Grade 7 learner.

The girls’ competition was simply a revelation. For the first time in South Africa’s youth cricket history, a national girl schools' competition was staged.

The enthusiasm and skill on show can only help grow the women’s game at a higher level further down the line.

And again, for the transformation doubters, one of the magical moments of the entire competition was watching Nomandi Junior Secondary School from the Eastern Cape produce a shock victory over the much-fancied Steyn City.

Equally, the undoubted star of the competition was Karabo Meso, with the Steyn City top-order batter and wicket-keeper showing off her class with a maiden century in the showcase final that had inked her name as one for the future.

The Schools SA20 tournament showed that when the intention is pure, and that the main thing is allowed to be the main thing, the game – in conjunction with transformation – will prosper organically.

That’s a lesson Cricket SA will hopefully learn sooner rather than later.