March 23, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1429

JOHANNESBURG, March 22: Chief executive Gerald Majola said on Friday that Cricket South Africa’s transformation policy was not meant to lead to the unreasonable selection of players of colour in the national team.

South African cricket was rocked again this week when Charl Langeveldt, a mixed race bowler, withdrew from the squad for the tour of India because of the public controversy generated by his selection.

Langeveldt had been included instead of fellow fast bowler Andre Nel to satisfy a racial target of six players of colour among the 14 players. Monde Zondeki, a black fast bowler, has replaced Langeveldt in the squad. The selection of South Africa’s previous touring squad, to Bangladesh in February, was also mired in controversy when CSA President Norman Arendse refused to accept a team that did not have six players of colour.

The team, as selected, eventually left for Bangladesh after Majola’s intervention. “Our transformation policy has not changed. It’s about targets, we aspire to reach certain targets. But we also believe we need to be reasonable and look at what we have,” Majola said on Friday.—Reuters