The selection of the first pair of black Africans to figure in the Test squad in four years is a landmark
Firdose Moonda09-Dec-2014Appreciating the rainbow of grey between black and white is thought to be the secret to a satisfying existence – except perhaps if you’re South African. The colour differences that divided this country in the past mean some things are still seen in terms of race, but that need not always be a negative. Temba Bavuma’s and Kagiso Rabada’s being picked for the Test squad are one example.The pair are black African, the group that makes up the majority of the country’s population, and their inclusion represents a major stride forward in representation. South Africa have not fielded a black African player in a Test XI in almost four years, since Lonwabo Tsotsobe was part of the New Year’s Test in 2011, and they have not had two black Africans in the Test set-up at the same time in more than a decade, after Makhaya Ntini and Monde Zondeki played together in 2003. But this is more than just a celebration of numbers or time.”We’re talking about two quality black African players here who have come through the structures and prove how the system is working,” Geoffrey Toyana, the duo’s franchise coach at Lions said. “They were identified from an early age, and unlike township players, who find that things are always harder for them, they came through the same pipeline all players, regardless of colour, should come from.”Bavuma and Rabada are products of prestigious cricketing schools. Bavuma was at St Davids in the upmarket suburb of Illovo in northern Johannesburg, while Rabada studied at St Stithians, alma mater to Grant Elliot and Michael Lumb. Both also were part of the national Under-19 set-up, although that’s where their paths diverged.Rabada’s performances at age-group level thrust him into the spotlight in a matter of months. Following his match-winning 6 for 25 against Australia U-19 in the World Cup semi-final this year and South Africa’s subsequent title win, Rabada received a franchise contract, played for South Africa A, made his international T20 debut, and has been called up to the Test squad.It may have seemed like too much too soon, but Toyana doesn’t think so. “He’s a special talent, almost in the same category as Quinton de Kock. He’s got gas. His run-up doesn’t give away the pace that he has, but he is fit and fast and furious – not necessarily that he gets into batsmen’s faces, but his aggression comes through his presence.”Rabada regularly generates pace in the mid-140kphs. His obvious skill is speed. While South Africa do not lack for genuine quicks – after Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, there is Marchant de Lange – knowing there is a young gun waiting in the wings has excited everyone from high performance manager Vincent Barnes to convener of selectors Andrew Hudson, and they are all doing their bit to keep Rabada close to the national set-up.He has also been named in the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad, and although he is unlikely to feature in the final XV or receive a maiden Test cap just yet, his inclusion is an indication he is being prepped for a big future.”They’ve picked him on potential. He is young and exciting and he is a good kid who always pushes himself. He asks a lot of questions and wants to improve all the time,” Toyana said. “We all know he hasn’t played a lot of cricket, but the more he plays, the better he will get.”Bavuma is almost at the other end. He is just 24 years old but has been playing first-class cricket for six years and has 68 matches to his name, and Toyana believes he could be considered to take up the middle-order spot left vacant by JP Duminy, sitting out injured. “Temba has been playing some good cricket and he’s probably ready. His technique is good enough for the pressures of Test cricket.”Bavuma has a small frame and delicate touch. “Never been the kind of guy who could smash sixes,” Toyana said. “We’ve adjusted his grip and concentrated on getting to him to come forward more, because he had a tendency to hang back in the crease a little too much.”The difference those changes have made over the last two seasons have seen Bavuma finish fifth and sixth on the first-class competition’s run-scorers list for the past two summers. His temperament has also earned him the vice-captaincy at the Lions franchise, where Toyana regards him as “the ultimate team man”, and it may be why, with an average bubbling under 40, he was preferred over some of his peers with better numbers.Kagiso Rabada: quick and aggressive•ICCOne of those is Stiaan van Zyl, the Cobras left-hander, who is more likely to play in Duminy’s place after being part of the South African squad that toured Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe over the past winter. But Bavuma will know he is next in line and that when he gets his chance, he will make history.He is the first black African batsman to be picked in a South African squad in any format, which Toyana, a batsman himself in his playing days, considers a magnificent achievement. “This is what the country needs: to see a black African playing Test cricket,” he said.Inevitably the word “quota” will pop up, especially because it is being strictly enforced in domestic cricket, following a governmental push for change. Earlier this year Fikile Mbalula, the country’s sports minister, threatened to revoke the international status of national teams that did not field at least 50% black African players. He later withdrew this demand after meeting with the federations concerned, which included cricket and rugby, and since then efforts have increased to achieve black African representation. This summer, CSA stipulated that franchise teams must field at least two black African players. For Toyana, the fruits of that requirement are beginning to flower.”This is about the system working and producing players,” he said. Whereas previously one of the reasons for a lack of black Africans at international level could be put down to a narrow pipeline thanks to a lack of black African talent in the franchise system, that can no longer be an excuse, and that is as black and white as it gets.
