Meet the criteria

Whilst at the SuperSport Show in Durban over the past weekend I was bombarded with questions by people that matter. The cricket loving public all want to know about the state of South African cricket.

People of all ages confronted me looking for solutions to a crisis of national interest. One wide-eyed lad, wearing a one-day replica cricket shirt, who couldn’t have been older than ten, even asked me if the players like playing for South Africa! Is that the impression the impressionable are getting?

Most were boldly stating that changes needed to be made to reverse the performance record of late. They said, “Start from the top”. The majority of the people were of the opinion that the upcoming meetings to address the steep decline of the performance of the national team would identify the areas of concern and subsequently rectify the problems. Did I mention they want answers now?

Emotions are certainly running high at present and everyone has their own thoughts. As you would expect, some are worthy of listening to, some are not. The spotlight will certainly be focused on Cape Town over the next week when senior players and members of the National Cricket Committee gather for what should be an intriguing gathering of minds. You will note, I said should be!

The NCC comprises of individuals who have the interest of the game in South Africa at heart, but are they the right decision makers? There is no doubt South African cricket has reached a crisis point as many individuals that are entrusted with key positions have publicly stated that they don’t know the answers and presumably are clouded in their thoughts of a way forward. The idea of a think tank is to get clear thinking strong-minded personalities together, who are agenda free, to thrash out a game plan. I seriously doubt that the correct personnel will be boarding flights from all over the country in a few days to address the issues. Although some meet the criteria for this meeting, most don’t.

Ask yourself the following questions. Do they all really care about the game in South Africa enough? Do they have the courage to make the tough calls? Do they have the intricate knowledge required? How many involved are not on the UCB payroll? Do they inspire confidence?

Solutions are urgently required and unless there is a sudden change of heart and personnel at the indaba there is every chance we will be picking up the weekend papers to be confronted by the same rhetoric that has left many disillusioned of late.

I really hope you and I are not disappointed.