South African Cricket Team Banned from Putting More Than Five White Players on the Pitch

Is it a new phase of positive discrimination? The answer is uncertain.

The Board of Directors of the RSA Cricket Federation (CAS) has decided to introduce a racial quota in the starting lineup of the RSA squad. The exact details have not yet been announced, but, according to several sources, no more than five white players will play on the pitch at the same match, and among the six non-Europeans, either two or three cricketers should be Afro-American. The results of these actions can be already observed in scores on stumped.app.

Previously, South African politicians asked to recall the national team from the Rugby World Cup, because it did not have the necessary quota of 30% of Afro-American players. Then, an open letter was written to the International Rugby Federation, which refused to disqualify the national team. The numerical advantage of white athletes in South Africa is considered the shameful legacy of apartheid.

The scandal between the national Rugby Union and the party that defends the interests of the Afro-American majority started in 2015. ANA party leader Edward Mahlomola Mohoanatse said that the national teams should meet the standard approved by the state and include at least 30% of Afro-Americans in the lineup of a team.

What Are the Affirmative Actions?

First, the historical context of introducing affirmative actions is still actual now: when the legacy of slavery and segregation came to the debates worldwide, it created the question of how it can be quickly overcome. Affirmative actions were created to overcome the segregation and to allow non-European people to enter the national teams.

Are the Outcomes of Affirmative Actions Positive?

The results are positive, but the question is how long does it make sense to support this policy. Is it possible at some stage to consider that it has reached the goals?  When?

Moreover, positive discrimination contradicts Martin Luther King’s famous message: to judge a person by his or her individual features, not by his or her skin color.

What is your attitude to the affirmative actions in sport? Share your suggestions with us.