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Affirmative action worry for Shafiek Abrahams

Trevor Chesterfield
13 December 1998




PORT ELIZABETH - As all sections of the rainbow nation in this corner of the country united behind Hansie Cronje's side as they inflicted a crushing defeat on the West Indies at St George's Park on Saturday, a puzzled Shafiek Abrahams was pondering on his elevation to the South African A side.

Not for the first time this season has the term ``affirmative action'' upset what the ANC euphemistically call ``players of colour''. Now Eastern Cape sources are suggesting, and not without foundation, that Abrahams is wondering if he too has become a member of the hated ``quota system'' plan.

If, as the argument runs, the selection is on merit, why did it not come earlier?

With many of players already angry over what they see as ``inclusion on the basis of quota numbers'' Abrahams, a hard-working all-rounder who has the ability to bowl tidy, honest and workmanlike off-spin, has found himself among five ``players of colour'' selected for the South African A team to play the West Indies in a four-day game at Pietermaritzburg's Alexander Oval starting on Saturday.

And to take the heat out of the A Team debate the thought now is to possibly to change the name, which might be a better idea, to that of SA President's XI or SA Invitation XI

Abrahams was one of two surprise selections in the side, the other being Charl Willoughby ahead of the promising Victor Mpitsang, the young Free State fast bowler

Yet, as Peter Pollock, the convener of selectors pointed out, those who missed out, such as Nicky Boje, Pieter Barnard and Derek Crookes as well as HD Ackerman were already well known to the selectors.

``We want to try someone else and have decided to give Boeta Doppenaar a chance to open the innings,'' he said. ``Players such as Shafiek has shown promise and we want to see what he can do in such a game.''

The fast bowling may rely too much on the experience of the three Test caps, Lance Klusener, Makhaya Ntini and Paul Adams, while Willoughby gets his chance ahead of Herman Bakkes. There are only three members of the A side which toured Sri Lanka earlier this year in the side, with Nic Pothas who takes over as captain, along with Martin van Jaarsveld and Ashwell Prince.

But, as it has been pointed out, the side has wide demographic recognition with With Sven Koenig representing the Swedish community, Nic Pothas the Greeks, Boeta Dippenaar and Martin van Jaarsveld the Afrikaans-speaking peoples, a Xhosa in Makhaya Ntini and Lance Klusener, because he speaks Zulu so fluently, the Zulus.

The side is: Sven Koenig, Botea Dippenaar, Martin van Jaarsveld, Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp, Nic Pothas (captain), Lance Klusener, Shafiek Abrahams, Paul Adams, Makhaya Ntini, Charl Willoughby.

Twelfth man: Victor Mpitsang



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