CSA to address representational issue in three-day meeting keeping ODI World Cup 2027 in mind

Cricket South Africa will host a three-day meeting to address the representational issue. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Indaba (conference) will begin on Friday, July 26, to identify the right roadmap for the ODI World Cup 2027 at home. Representational issue was a hot topic before the T20 World Cup 2024 and that is one area that the apex council will discuss and address but that’s not the only agenda that will be talked about.

CSA will also discuss about the infrastructure and budget for the mega tournament. However, the main focus remains on what the members decide on representational issues. Mudutambi Ravele, CSA board member and DEI chairperson noted that the representation of black cricketers is not the only thing but they are also concerned about the decline of players of Indian heritage.

“It is not only about black players but about building a diverse structure. For example, we have looked at the data from the Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) province and seen that the number of players of Indian heritage has got less and less. We want to address that. We have looked at Limpopo and there are no white players. We can't have that. We want to address the issues holistically,” Ravele told ESPNcricinfo.

Also Read - T20 World Cup 2024: CSA criticised for picking only one black African in squad

We want to look at the pool of players and how we can support them: Ravele

Notably, Kagiso Rabada was the only black player in the South Africa team in T20 World Cup 2024 and that also concerns CSA. Talking about that, Ravele mentioned the social issues players face from disadvantaged backgrounds and they are hoping to change that in future.

“various initiatives that have been pursued over the years have not yielded the desired results. We want to look at the pool of players who are available and how we can support them to stay in the pool. There are a number of social issues that affect players from disadvantaged backgrounds,” Ravele said. 

The board also launched a special program for black African batters in the KZN province to develop more players for the national team.