Transformation, Quotas and Black Holes

20 The Times Monday October 14 | 20 1 3 S P O RT How do we leap over a ‘black hole’? THERE are few more volatile and controversial issues in South African sport than transformation. It is a unique problem with insurmount- able challenges, because, regardless of ac- tions taken, somewhere in the system there is a negative outcome for someone. The challenge is finding solutions that have the best long-term outcome for the most people. The key point is that transformation is critical, and failure to do it is short-sighted. The analogy is that of a farmer who has 100ha of arable land, but chooses to use only 10 — leaving the other 90ha to lie dormant for eternity. If South Africa has 20 million more importantly, the disappearance of tal- potential sports stars, yet we continue to ent within each sport. “farm” only two million of them, we are SA Cricket has begun to invest expertise underachieving relative to our potential. in these questions, but SA Rugby leads the Transformation is key to accessing that way. My colleagues, Professor Mike Lam- talent. bert and Justin Durandt, of the Sports Where disagreement arises is around the Science Institute of South Africa’s High issue of how to achieve this. Forced trans- Performance Centre, have over a decade of formation — in the form of quotas — is the data from Craven Weeks, and a picture is most controversial and extreme action, and beginning to emerge of where players come its effects, good and bad, have been the from, where they go, and, most importantly, subject of much debate. why they may fail. However, one aspect that is overlooked, Until this information is known, trans- and which goes to the heart of the problem, formation will remain numerically skewed is that quotas at junior level create a “black at the expense of quality. Economically, it hole” at the point where players graduate to creates inefficiencies, where limited senior level, and make it impossible to resources are invested in the wrong places. accurately gauge the performance of Imagine for a moment you are a bas- development programmes. ketball scout from the NBA in the US. Are Consider the following hypothetical sit- you going to spend money finding super- uation: authorities in a given sport notice stars among the pygmy population of that, at junior level, black African players Congo, whose average height is 1.60m? Or make up 40% to 50% of the teams. do you go to Eastern Europe, where 1.85m is At the senior level, they bemoan the fact the average height? that only 10-15% of players come from these The answer is obvious, but this extreme previously disadvantaged groups, instigat- example illustrates that one cannot force ing a firestorm of accusations of bias at participation and success without first re- senior level. Then follows the on-off-on-off alising that some populations may be ex- implementation of quotas at senior level, all cluded from success because of physical the while being blinded by the fact that the factors. Here, too, we simply do not know if 40% to 50% at junior level was artificially this applies in South African sport, because inflated by quotas to begin with. too little research has taken place. Quotas have, in effect, made it impossible Ultimately, efforts at transformation are to judge the quality rather than the quantity hampered by “blindness”, which is why we of players being developed at junior level. repeatedly stagger and stumble over the In this climate, where transformation is same barriers. Until the success, failure and quantity-driven at the expense of mon- causative factors are quantified and un- itoring quality, snap judgments are the derstood properly, we are hoping for the norm, driven by political and emotional best. Even with better data, creating a incentives rather than proper understand- sporting culture and dealing with the con- ing of challenges and barriers faced by sequences of transformation is a huge chal- athletes. This is allied to the staggering lack lenge, one where business holds many in- of research tracking the appearance, and, sights. These are for discussion next time. Miller rescues Dolphins DAVID Miller steered the Dolphins to a Next to fall was Temba Bavuma for four. six-wicket victory over the Lions in a A Robbie Frylinck delivery kept low on Domestic One-Day Cup game at Senwes an uneven Potchefstroom pitch and Bavu- Park in Potchefstroom yesterday. ma was castled with the Lions wobbling Miller was unbeaten on a better-than-a on 49/4. run-a-ball innings of 76 off 68 deliveries A 75-run partnership followed between as his side chased down a target of 172 Jean Symes and Devon Conway. in 36.2 overs. Savage again struck, this time to remove Winning the toss, the Dolphins chose to Conway, who edged behind to keeper field, which proved an excellent decision. Morne van Wyk, leaving the score on The pitch had dished up a severely uneven 124/5. bounce in the Lions innings but had flat- Symes was bowled by Frylinck with the tened out by the time that the Dolphins score on 150, becoming the third Lions came in to bat. batsman to play the ball onto his stumps. Miller, however, came to the wicket with Despite a patient innings of 29 off 60 his side busy making a mess of their balls by Shaylin Pillay, the Lions were run chase as the Dolphins had fallen bowled out for 171 in 47.3 overs. to 25/3. After the first round of fixtures, the Miller, together with Vaughn van Dolphins lead the standing with a max- Jaarsveld (56), restored the chase of imum five points, followed by the Warriors the meagre total as they put together a and the Cape Cobras, who share second partnership of 85. spot on four points. Van Jaarsveld was dismissed on 110 but The Warriors beat the Knights by 11 Miller was able to push on and help his runs on Saturday and the Cobras side to the six-wicket win. squeaked past the Titans by two runs, Earlier, in the Lions innings, Quinton de thanks to the D/L method, on Friday. Kock fell for a duck in the first over ý All South African first-class teams must wafting at a wide delivery and being include at least one black African player caught in the slips by Van Jaarsveld. from October 16, Cricket South Africa A period of cautious consolidation announced yesterday. followed. But after a 32-run partnership CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said between captain Stephen Cook (14) and the initiative was part of a drive to make Rassie van der Dussen (22), young cricket more representative of South Dolphins seamer Calvin Savage removed Africa’s population. the pair in quick succession. Only five black African players have Both fell to inside edges onto their represented South Africa since the nation stumps to be dismissed in almost identical was readmitted to international cricket in fashion to leave the Lions on 40/3. 1992. — Sapa and Reuters.

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