Seven black players in squad by 2007

Cricket South Africa's directors have endorsed a recommendation that the 15-man squad for the 2007 World Cup should include a minimum of seven black players.

Gerald Majola, the chief executive, announced the details at a press conference at the Wanderers today. "This target was recommended by both the UCBSA transformation-review sub-committee and the management comittee, and has been accepted by the Board of CSA," he said. "The target was based on an increase of the five black players in the squad for the 2003 World Cup, held in South Africa."

Majola added that Cricket South Africa had also endorsed a recommendation that a squad of potential team members be identified now, and be put into the high-performance programme under its manager Gary Kirsten, to prepare them for the next World Cup. "This programme will include mentoring and monitoring, so that we can send a formidable team to the World Cup," explained Majola. "We do not believe in tokenism, but in capacity building to ensure that all team members can take on the best the world has to offer."

Majola said that the target of seven black players for 2007 was realistic, and was part of the transformation programme aimed at making South African cricket a truly national sport. "We now have a pool of more than 200 black players competing in senior professional and amateur domestic competitions, and we believe this is a good platform from which to build for the future," he said. "Our transformation programme is ongoing, and we are going to make it sustainable until parity is reached at all levels."

And he concluded: "South African cricket is part of South African society, and we must play our part in the transformation programme for the betterment of our nation."