South Africa to consider franchise `quotas`

Cape Town: South African cricket officials are set to consider a proposal forcing professional franchises to include at least two black Africans in every team.

Another item expected to be discussed at an October 11 Cricket South Africa (CSA) meeting will be the need for second-tier, semi-professional provincial sides to select three black Africans. CSA have not commented officially on the proposals, but an official who attended recent transformation talks said both issues would be debated. While the six top-tier franchises have picked numerous mixed-race or Asian-origin cricketers in recent seasons, there has been a dearth of black Africans on view. Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini carried the black African banner in the Test, one-day international (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) teams for many seasons. Since Ntini retired two years ago, black African fast-medium bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been in and out of Proteas teams in various formats. Faced with constant criticism for not picking black Africans, national selectors` convenor Andrew Hudson has pointed to a shortage of stars from that race group. AFP