EP Warriors coach Robin Peterson says no other South African provincial team has fielded more black African players than him during his four-year tenure.
After the league stage of this season’s One-Day Cup, the Warriors were docked five log points by CSA for only selecting two black African players among their required six players of colour (instead of three) for their match against the Dolphins in Durban on 16 February, with the Dolphins awarded four log points.
As a result, the Warriors dropped to fourth on the log – outside of the playoffs – with the Dolphins moving up to second and going on to win the competition.
“The pitch, on the day, wasn’t going to be conducive for fast bowlers and we needed a spinner,” Eastern Province Cricket president Donovan May explained at the time of the sanction. “We didn’t have another black spinner, but we had a coloured spin bowler, along with an academy player who has a future ahead of him.”
The Warriors appealed CSA’s decision to dock them log points and were granted mediation, which will take place next week.
Peterson therefore couldn’t go into details when asked by News24 about the incident.
“I can’t really comment because the matter hasn’t been settled yet with Cricket South Africa, but am I the only one?” he asked.
“I believe in transformation; nobody says that the Warriors have played more black African cricketers than any team in the country over the four years I’ve been here. Those things are quickly forgotten, we’ve played more players of colour in starting line-ups than any other team in the country.
“But nobody ever mentions that fact, it depends what lens you have on.”
Peterson’s side were able to avoid relegation to Division 2 by winning their last 4-Day Series match against the Dolphins, but that situation could change with the relegated Free State Knights also being granted mediation by CSA after sending the governing body a legal letter three weeks ago.
MORE: Knights relegated – for now
Peterson blamed unexpected national call-ups and injuries for their difficult season.
“Remember when they threw in those India and Sri Lanka tours coming in? We lost key players to the national side and they weren’t nationally contracted,” he told News24.
“So, we had to go from having four players away to trying to find results without having planned to. There were no plans; I was sitting with Tristan Stubbs in July and we were working out that he was going to play these four games, these four-day matches in preparation for Pakistan …
“Then all of a sudden, India come here for T20s, Sri Lanka’s flown in and players that are critical to our side were dragged away.
“We’re not the Lions, we’re not the Titans and we’re not Western Province, who have five or six national contracts that CSA pays for, which allows them to have bigger squads.
“When we sign, what we have is what we have and, if you take three key players, we’re screwed.”
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
