Fewer SA Players won't mean Fewer for the Rest of the World

It might actually mean more...

It’s that time of year. Reset time. I’ve reflected often on the reality of the ‘reset’ which the IPL creates for the rest of the major cricket playing world. It’s not just that so much attention is diverted to, and by, the relentlessness of the competition, it’s that unwanted attention is diverted away from their own affairs allowing them to ‘get on with stuff.’

Deep administrative breaths are taken in many countries and regions while the IPL chugs on. England’s County Championship is the only other significant drawcard, with apologies to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe who are gallantly contesting Test matches in Mirpur and Chattogram having contributed few players to the greatest cricket show on earth. None, actually.

England have supplied fewer players than at any time in the last 10 years and, although they may be concerned about the wisdom of wonderkid Jacob Bethell spending six, unused weeks on the Impact Player subs bench at RCB, they are refocussing on their own domestic game. It has been a cracking start to the Championship.

In South Africa, too, the future of an intensely troubled domestic game may also be becoming clearer. A review of the structure of provincial cricket has been ongoing for almost four months with the results and recommendations to be presented to the board of directors in the second week of May.

There are currently 15 professional provinces contesting shortened competitions in all three formats, in two divisions. Three of them are financially sustainable, independently. Just. The rest are dependent on annual hand-outs from Cricket South Africa, supplemented by other ‘loans’, from time to time. Two are currently under CSA administration having spectacularly failed to balance their books. Or even explain where the money has gone. One former CFO is in prison.

There are directors who have been declared ‘delinquent’, which is an accounting term, in case you weren’t aware. One CEO suggested that old red balls could be painted white in order for the players to prepare for the switch from first-class to limited overs cricket. He explained to the coach that such ingenuity would save the province much needed cash.

South Africa has produced an excess of high-quality cricketers for over half a century, an increasing net exporter of talent since the days of Basil D’Oliveira, Tony Greig, Allan Lamb and Kepler Wessels. Add as many of the 100+ players who have represented other countries since then as you feel inclined. Yep, at least a hundred. Have a look at the world’s Associate Nations over the last 30 years if confirmation is required.

This supply-line to other nations is clearly a problem. Maybe ‘the’ problem. The answer to domestic cricket’s approximate R350 million annual deficit then, is to cut the number of players being paid. Not teams or administrators, but players. One of the major suggestions/proposals will be to limit the eight Division One teams to 12 contracted players, down from a maximum of 18. The seven Division Two teams would be limited to seven, down from a maximum of 12. This would save the domestic game around R30million per year.

The over-arching aim of any domestic championship should be the pursuit of excellence, even above ‘fairness’ and inclusivity. Those secondary criteria should be catered for by the amateur game and Club Cricket. Diluting the number of players in every team who can afford to devote their time and effort to playing the game full-time and seeking improvement is not the way to pursue excellence.

Propping up already poorly run franchise teams in order to avoid the inevitably nasty political repercussions of disbanding them is not the way to pursue excellence. That much was acknowledged two decades ago when the (then) 11 provinces were amalgamated into six franchise teams in an attempt to achieve a strength vs strength domestic game. It was only the inability or unwillingness of the provincial teams to make ‘forced marriages’ work which eventually led to a return, and increase, of standalone provincial teams.

The recommendation is a wretched compromise, forced by the certain knowledge that reducing the number of professional provinces would result in a civil war. The result is that all those board members, presidents and other beneficiaries in the 15 provinces will keep their perks while the players will not only lose jobs but those that remain on contract will be competing with and against more cricketers battling to attend training sessions and paying their bills with part-time jobs.

For fans of the way things were in the 70s and 80s it’s Nirvana. If the recommendation is accepted and approved. As for New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands and all the other countries who’ve benefitted from South Africa’s relentless production line, well… they might just get their players even younger if there’s even less prospect of them starting a career at home.

• Many thanks to the people who have enquired - the hand is, err, ‘doing well’. For the squeamish, do not look below. But I’d be very grateful for a ‘coffee’ to ease the recovery if anybody has the inclination or means to click on the link and go through the admin… :)