The bloodshed in Cricket South Africa continues. Two day after the national coach Mickey Arthur resigned, the CSA sacked its entire national selection panel headed by Mike Procter. The move comes just days before South Africa undertakes a tour of India. Procter said in a meeting held last week with CSA bosses did not go well. “Whatever transpired at that meeting led them to get rid of Mickey and also the selectors,” Proctor said. “CSA chief executive Gerald Majola called me up and told me that the selection panel was dysfunctional. It was a huge shock to us all,” Procter said. Majola said the move was part of the national team set-up.
National high performance coach Corrie van Zyl has been appointed caretaker coach and will take the team to India on Saturday. Van Zyl has also been appointed to a three-man interim selection panel, along with former Test captain Kepler Wessels and Majola, who will be the convenor. Protector disputed earlier reports that Arthur’s departure was due to a clash with captain Graeme Smith. “As far as I know there was no problem between Graeme and Mickey. They got on well,” Procter said.
Reports on Wednesday suggested that the surprise resignation of Arthur, together with the dismissal of the selection panel, was linked to the contentious issue of quotas for more black players in the national team. Procter said only CSA could answer the question of whether quotas and racial transformation of the team was the reason the selectors were fired. Arthur, meanwhile, said he and the board disagreed on plans for the future. “I do not believe I can take the team forward under the present circumstances,” he said. Arthur and Graeme Smith, who sat next to each other at a press conference to announce the coach’s resignation, denied that a breakdown in their relationship was a factor.