SAJBD comments following meeting with Cricket SA, 16 January 2024
At a meeting held today, Cricket SA (CSA) categorically failed to provide credible evidence that there had been any real security threats to the upcoming Under19 World Cup tournament on account of David Teeger being captain of the SA team. This, together with CSA’s vacillating and contradictory responses to the questions put to them reinforces our understanding that the excuse provided for Teeger’s removal as captain, namely ‘security concerns’, is trumped up and bogus. Moreover, even if there had been credible information of a possible threat, CSA could, had it chosen, taken appropriate steps to deal with it, such as moving the games or providing additional security.
The only explanation for why a young Jewish cricketer was arbitrarily stripped of his captaincy must therefore be plain antisemitism. There are good reasons why credible sporting bodies desist from political interference. This should have been the case with CSA, but unfortunately, it was not. Rather, we are seeing high-level political interference with a sinister, discriminatory agenda.
The fact that the International Cricket Council is allowing this tournament to go ahead is tacit endorsement of CSA’s action. This recalls the infamous surrender of the International Olympics Committee to demands by Nazi Germany that Jews be excluded from participating in the 1936 Berlin Olympic games. Posterity will judge the ICC similarly harshly for its stance.
We call on CSA to immediately reinstate David Teeger to his position as captain of the SA u19 team.
We further call on the international community to protest against this blatant act of antisemitic discrimination on the part of Cricket SA.