Namibian Cricket

[americanzimfan]

I post occasionally, but I prefer reading all of your opinions more than giving mine because the overwhelming majority of you know vastly more than I do about cricket and Zimbabwe.

I ran into this old article and wanted to know how Zimbabwe's situation compared to Namibia - whose cricket team is nearly all white and has not integrated.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/co ... 24695.html

[Googly]

This was a relevant comment

Nowhere in this article mentions the widespread apathy when it comes to the black population regarding cricket in both South Africa and Namibia. It's all very well having a representative team, and window dressing to appease the politicians, but the reality of the situation is that black kids grow up wanting to play soccer, white kids grow up wanting to play rugby and cricket. You are pushing rope up hill if you think you are going to field a successful team representative of the country's demographics.

[Flakeman]

Very true Googly.

If only the ignorant bunch of fools saw it that way too.

[foreignfield]

That apathy is not genetic, it is part of the culture, and culture, while apparently static, is in reality constantly undergoing changes. 25 years ago cricket seemed to be an essential part of the West Indies DNA, nowadays kids there dream of making big bucks in basketball etc. There are also definitely more passionate black cricket fans in Zim now than on the eve of independence, even if they are a minority overall. That the powers that be effectually destroyed the playing strength of the national side during the last fifteen years hasn't helped either: who wants to support a team (and sport) of perennial loosers?

Of course you can't enforce a change from top with quotas etc., it is nonsense, has never worked, and will never work. It is something completly different to lend talented players from the majority demographic the utmost support to do well and thus create role models, though.

[eugene]

You have to create equal opportunity for people of all races from a young age. But when it comes to international cricket the team should always be picked on merit. A top-down approach to transformation will never work. You will have 8 players competing for 4 spots and 120 competing for the other 7.

[Googly]

It's not really possible to create equal opportunity in any sport, least of all cricket. It's high time people see this equal opportunity thing for what it really is, and that's a chance for racist political appointees to loot and pillage. It's happened in all walks of life in these two countries and it's disgusting. Have Zim and SA made noise about there being swimming pools everywhere, or everyone having access to a horse or a tennis Court? They've only picked the high profile, big money sports that they can steal from. People can shout about this comment as much as they like but there's decades of proof to back up my statement. Listen to Rabada and Bavuma chat on TV, they've attended good schools, they ain't no township gang bangers that got rescued from a life of crime. For the countless millions that get sunk into development cricket vs the return of two players, it becomes apparent that buying a US powerball ticket makes more investment sense. Why don't they force all Indian kids in SA to take up rugby and boxing, or force all white kids to play soccer, or black kids to take up spear fishing? What's the difference?

[Googly]

There just aren't the resources to create equal opportunity in Zim and SA in absolutely anything. Far too many impoverished people and minuscule resources in comparison. Take India, which is cricket crazy, most kids have played street cricket, but I wonder how many have played on a decent ground with decent equipment? Even in the UK at the government schools there are not great facilities or opportunities and even less interest. . The race card is going to die a natural death very soon because everything in Zim has been dismantled and SA is fast following. In 10 years time the black guys that continue to look for something to shout about to get a leg up are going to have to dig deep. Maybe the sky being blue will be adequate?

[foreignfield]

There just aren't the resources to create equal opportunity in Zim and SA in absolutely anything. Far too many impoverished people and minuscule resources in comparison. Take India, which is cricket crazy, most kids have played street cricket, but I wonder how many have played on a decent ground with decent equipment? Even in the UK at the government schools there are not great facilities or opportunities and even less interest.

Yes, real equal opportunities are a myth. I don't think England have capped more than a handful batsmen from government schools in the last twenty years; it's different with bowlers, though.

[Googly]

Indeed.

[eugene]

By equal opportunity, I am meaning removing institutionalised racism and providing pathways for a player who has shown talent. No sport can ever be truly equal opportunity, someone without any arms is never going to play international cricket no matter how much money is spent. But this scenario shouldn't lead to turning a blind eye to injustices that can be easily resolved.