Cricket | SA Team

Norman Arendse, Gerald Majola © Gallo Images

Selection integrity not upheld - Arendse

by Altus Momberg 13/02/2008, 00:03

Cricket SA president Norman Arendse has dismissed as 'absurb' any notion that the Proteas squad selected for the tour of Bangladesh was done on the proper grounds.

After a major disagreement over the composition of the squad, CSA CEO Gerald Majola on Monday approved and announced, without Arendse's permission, the SA squad to tour Bangladesh.

Arendse said on Tuesday the team had been announced and he was unable to stop it now.

"But I believe the correct procedure (in the selection of the team) was not followed. People have said the integrity of the selection process was upheld. That is absurd.

"The president is part of the selection process and if he did not approve the squad the integrity could not have been upheld."

Last week Arendse and Proteas coach Mickey Arthur argued about the composition of the team to tour Bangladesh.

Arendse was dissatisfied about the number of black players in the squad and about the inclusion of players whose fitness was in doubt.

He vetoed the selected team twice before Majola made the announcement on Monday.

Arendse said on Tuesday he would have preferred the general council to meet as soon as possible.

"However, the deputy president (Logan Naidoo) informed me that the chief executive (Majola) was going to Malaysia shortly and would therefore be unavailable."

ROUND TWO

The next round of the fight about the selection of South African cricket teams could take place at the end of February.

The general council of Cricket SA will meet in Johannesburg on February 29 when the president and chief executive are likely to go head to head again.

The SA squad for the three one-day internationals against Bangladesh will be selected early in March. It is hoped that clarity about the process will be obtained during the general council's meeting.

Arendse feels Cricket SA's transformation policy is clear and it should be applied correctly.

"If we do not create opportunities for young players, black and white, against a team such as Bangladesh we are never going to create opportunities for them," he said.