Anyone expecting Cricket South Africa and SuperSport to match the quality and forthright message and broadcast delivered by the England Cricket Board and SkySports last week, would have been very disappointed by what they saw at yesterday’s Solidarity Cup production.
It was the first live sports event in the lockdown period. It was also a laudable charity initiative for causes related to helping the downtrodden as poverty sweeps the country while the economy crumbles. But the 3 Team Cricket event also came at a time when the sport in this country and Cricket SA (CSA) have been placed firmly in the spotlight over racism which has been prevalent in the sport in the post-isolation period.
Where SkySports and the ECB engaged in some frank discussion around Black Lives Matter before the first Test, SuperSport and CSA paid very little attention to the initiative despite the explosive debates that have occurred in the last few weeks since Lungi Ngidi said he’d be calling on his teammates to take a stand on the issue.
Black players and coaches have signed a letter supporting Ngidi, and in days leading up to the 3TC event, a number of white players pledged their support.
Graeme Smith, CSA and some of its affiliates have done the same, but the kind of conversations witnessed in England last week were absent yesterday.
Everyone knelt before the first ball was bowled, but it took Andile Phehlukwayo, celebrating the wicket of Heinrich Klaasen in the last innings of the game, to make the strongest statement - revealing a T-shirt under his playing shirt, with ‘Black Lives Matter’ printed on it, while he stood with his right fist in the air.
Perhaps more conversations will come in the next few months. They must happen, because a gaping wound has been opened in the sport, and leaving it to fester won’t help CSA, the players nor anyone else associated with the cricket in the country.
As for the 3TC game; it was largely fun, although the absence of a crowd was notable with some horrible music filling in as background noise. Social distancing measures were practised, players washed their hands as they left the field and ball catchers with fishing nets were stationed around the grass embankment at SuperSport Park to catch the ball.
The format derided by many wasn’t as confusing to follow as some had thought. It too appears to be very much a batsman-friendly format.
The bowlers will correctly argue there was some rustiness given that they were only allowed outside a few weeks ago. So Aiden Markram smashed a few, as did AB de Villiers, JJ Smuts and Janneman Malan.
Among the bowlers, of those who aren’t household names, Glenton Stuurman stood out taking 2/26 in his three-over allotment, bowling with accuracy and good control and variety.
Ultimately, the charity initiative served its purpose in that worthy regard. R500 000 was raised for the Kolisi Foundation, the Temba Bavuma Foundation and the Imibala Trust - which are all involved in providing food and meals to the country’s poorest citizens.