Cricket South Africa slammed for naming only one black player in T20 World Cup squad: ‘We have gone backwards’ | Cricket News
Former South Africa sports minister Fikile Mbalula has questioned Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) make up of the T20 World Cup squad – calling out the inclusion of only one black player – Kagiso Rabada – among the 15 named by the Proteas. CSA’s current target requires the national team to field as many as six players of color in their squad during a season, of which at least two must be black African. The 15-man provisional squad named by South Africa last month included six players of color – Rabada, Reeza Hendricks, Bjorn Fortuin, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi and Ottniel Baartman – but Rabada is the only black African included. While Lungi Ngidi will be travelling alongside the team, the pacer has been named as a reserve, which doesn’t fulfill the target set for the national side. Pointing the same, South Africa’s former sports minister Fikile Mbalula criticised the board on X. “Only 1 African player selected in the Proteas Team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 Team. Definitely a reversal of the gains …