Racial quota: Nothing new, it's just a shame: ABD

A B de Villiers is not surprised that just days before South Africa renewed its quest for an elusive World Cup, the talk back home is all about racial quota in the team. It's a rinse-and-repeat sort of situation and de Villiers, who retired in 2018, is glad that he is a mere spectator to the situation now. "...it's a shame going into a tournament to have the focus on that. I mean it's nothing new, it's just a shame," lamented one of the greats of South African cricket.

"Luckily this time around, I've had nothing to do with anything over there. I'm just a spectator," the 40-year-old said.

The cause of outrage is the presence of just one black player in the squad for the T20 showpiece that will take place in the Americas from June 1. Considered the perennial bridesmaids, who tend to choke in crunch situations, South Africa somehow are always in the pre-tournament favourites bracket without actually living up to the tag. And having a deeply divisive topic take centre-stage just days before they begin their campaign is a far-from-ideal build-up for a country that has a troubled past when it comes to race relations.Over the course of a season, six players of colour are required to be in the South Africa playing eleven including two from the black African community as per the policy introduced in 2016. With Kagiso Rabada being the only black African in the T20 World Cup squad, the national team is set to miss its target. Another black-African, Lungi Ngidi, is part of the travelling reserves.

Following the selection of the squad, former Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and former CSA and ICC president Ray Mali questioned the composition of the side. "Only one African player selected in the Proteas Team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 Team. Definitely a reserval (reversal) of the gains of transformation and doesn't reflect fair representation of all South Africans in the national cricket tea,” Mbalula wrote on X.