Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

The Professor wrote:Did anyone else know that Dale Steyn was in a critically panned Adam Sandler film in 2014?

https://youtu.be/HAwuV7vnMxI

not me

Sandler looks a bit like Phil Mustard

Former Proteas fast bowler Makhaya Ntini has revealed the pain of loneliness and isolation he experienced during his time as a national team player.

In an interview on SABC's Morning Live, Ntini spoke openly about being ostracised by his white teammates, and how Cricket South Africa unceremoniously cut ties with him as a player without the send-off reserved for other senior players.

Ntini spoke about how he was always alone and would run between the hotel and grounds to avoid the team bus.

"We would get to the stadium at the same time, I would bowl to them, we would wear the same clothes and sing the same national anthem. I had to find a way to overcome those things. I had to find a way, and that way turned out to be the best weapon in my life," Ntini said.

"I would go to the driver of the bus early in the morning, and I would give him my bag. I would say to him, 'I will meet you at the ground?' I would put on my running shoes and run to the cricket ground. On my way back, I would give the bus driver my dirty clothes and say, 'I'll see you at the hotel'. I would run all the way back to the hotel."

Ntini (43) said he couldn't speak out about it at the time.

https://ewn.co.za/2020/07/17/makhaya-nt ... in-cricket

and yet despite the way he felt about things, he always came across as being someone who enjoyed life and loved playing his cricket. I heard him commentating on the SA 3 team thing the other week and he still sounds exactly the same. Surprising the things we manage to hide

Kruger spoke on SABC news about not playing in Australia in 2008-09 where he said he "did not feel like it was a welcoming environment within the team", and blamed Graeme Smith and Boucher for sidelining him. Tsolekile made a similar accusation about Smith and Boucher, who he said along with AB de Villiers, prevented him from playing in 2012. Herschelle Gibbs, in his 2010 autobiography, To the Point, was the first to call out a Smith-Boucher-Jacques Kallis-de Villiers clique that he claimed controlled South African cricket. Prince has tweeted several threads about the issue, most recently saying he perceived a "resentment" from Smith towards him.

All that is important because of the positions Smith and Boucher hold today. Smith, as CSA's director of cricket, is essentially the country's most important cricket man and he has been in the thick of it. He has faced questions over his commitment to transformation from his first few weeks in the job. But he has spoken in support of the BLM movement and said he wants to "ensure that young black African players are given the opportunity that they deserve to reach the highest levels in all areas of the game". He has defended himself against the allegations from Tsolekile and reiterated his desire to be part of the solution. He's also said he was "unaware of" and "surprised" by the stories Ntini had told, even if might be difficult to believe any white South African can claim to be unaware of what was going on. Smith speaks as someone who is privileged; privileged enough not to have had to think about being the other in a professional team. More recently he said he understood those who felt frustrated by lack of opportunity, and argued the instances could be broken into two categories: "racial discrimination and the nature of competitive sport".

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id ... nce-winter

The South Africa men's A team won by 6 wickets against the Zimbabwe A team.

An unbeaten 113* off just 64 balls from Theunis de Bruyn sees South Africa take the first ODI

SA-A are playing 10 international players in the 50-over match against ZIM-A. However the only non-international top scored; Ryan Rickleton with 169

Zim ODI captain Chamu Chibhabha knocked 85* as Zim-A beat SA- A by 22 runs via the D/L method.

Steadied the ship with Zim-A 46/4 and took them to 170/4 in 37 overs.

Zim-A trail SA-A 2-1. Final one dayer on Friday.

South Africa A beat Zimbabwe A by 116 runs. SA got 281-6 thanks to Reeza Hendricks' 89. Zimbabwe were all out for 165 in 35 overs.

South Africa won the series 3-1.

Ryan Rickleton
(Most Runs - 224)
Reeza Hendricks
(Most 50s - 3)
Senuran Muthusamy
(Most Wickets - 9)

Milton Shumba scored his third first class half century on his way to 74 for South Africa A in their 4 day game against Zimbabwe.

He played a patient knock to string together the middle order and help his side to 253-5 overnight.

The Professor wrote:Milton Shumba scored his third first class half century on his way to 74 for South Africa A in their 4 day game against Zimbabwe.

He played a patient knock to string together the middle order and help his side to 253-5 overnight.

I meant to say Shumba plays for Zim not SA

Ryan Rickleton with another impressive tonne for South Africa A today.

South Africa A are 257-2 in reply to Zimbabwe's 344

Zubayr Hamza becomes the first ever captain to declare a first-class innings while batting at the score of 222*.

South Africa were 603-4 and then humbled Zimbabwe to 22-2 - trailing SA by 237

Glenton Stuurman rounded off a comprehensive innings victory with a threefer today.

Totally outclassed Zim in all departments

Wesley Madhevere got his maiden International fivefer as Zimbabwe made a better fist of it against a South Africa A side who were all out for 288 on stumps

Boucher admits to racist behaviour towards Paul Adams and others....

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/sjn- ... ssion=true

Mark Boucher, South Africa's head coach, has admitted the national team culture in his playing days was exclusionary and blamed it on a lack of "maturity and consciousness," in the immediate post-Apartheid era. He apologised for his role in causing any offence to or discriminating against team-mates and committed to creating a more inclusive space going forward.

Boucher submitted a 14-page affidavit to Cricket South Africa's Social Justice and Nation-Building committee containing "general response," to implications of being involved in racial discrimination. He intends to submit a second supplementary affidavit dealing with specific issues at the conclusion of the hearings. He has also made himself available for one-on-one discussions with former team-mates in a bid to mend relationships.

While Boucher's submission dealt with broad issues of team-culture, he went into detail about the allegations made by Paul Adams, who told the SJN he was nicknamed brown s*** by his team-mates in the late 1990s. Boucher explained that the nickname was used at fines' meetings - team celebrations after series wins - but that he "can categorically say that did not give Mr Adams the name "brown s***" and "does not know who gave him the name."

However, Boucher conceded that he was part of a group of players that sang a song in which Adams' was called "brown s***" and that some of what took place at those post-match celebrations was "totally inappropriate, unacceptable and in retrospect, understandably offensive." He said Boucher said he "deeply regrets and apologises for the part I played in joining in with my team-mates in singing offensive songs or using offensive nicknames."

Adams' testimony, and that of other players including Roger Telemachus, Loots Bosman and Ashwell Prince, spoke of a team culture that made them feel unwelcome and where issues of the country's segregated past were undiscussed. Boucher echoed that and provided the view that the formerly privileged, white players were unprepared for post-Apartheid challenges. "We were not only naive but were also ill-equipped to deal with the new environment in which we found ourselves," Boucher's statement read. "To my certain knowledge there had not been any briefing or discussion by CSA as to how we deal with the legacy of Apartheid, how players and management should deal with the additional pressures placed on them by the country and the media, how we ensure that there is equality, respect, empathy and inclusiveness in the team. There was no guidance, no culture discussions, no open fora and no-one appointed by CSA to deal with awkwardness or questions or pressures that were being experienced by the players and, in particular, by the players of colour."



I can't say I'm surprised. That's why I had little sympathy for a certain Saffer duo who left SA for county cricket in England not so long ago....