Cricket South Africa (CSA) has implemented a new racial quota system for the national cricket team, the Proteas.

The targets require the national team to play an average minimum of 54% black players and average minimum of 18% black African players over the season.

The targets come into play with immediate effect.

The cricketing board said that the move ‘is a natural progression’ in its determination to drive transformation aggressively as part of CSA’s policy to make cricket a truly national sport accessible to all.

The targets will be an average of the cumulative representation across all three formats in a season.

“What is really encouraging,” said CSA president, Chris Nenzani, “is that the Standard Bank Proteas, who are our flag bearers, are already achieving these targets and in some cases exceeding the targets we have just set.”

Nenzani noted that the Test starting XI that played in the recent Sunfoil Series against New Zealand contained six players of colour and two Black Africans, while the ODI starting XI had as many as eight players of colour (73%) in their most recent series against the West Indies and Australia.

The South Africa A side had six players of colour and three black Africans in the starting XI that beat the Australia National Performance Squad by 9 wickets in the final match of their quadrangular series in Australia, CSA said.

“With the targets being measured over the full season and being cumulative across all three formats, our selectors and team management will have the flexibility to deal with varying circumstances.

“This shows very clearly that the targets are very attainable and sustainable and we will maintain the world-class standards that our players regularly produce,” Nenzani said.

CSA meanwhile, announced a R107 million surplus, R89-million better than budget, at its annual general meeting held in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The majority of this surplus was achieved through the effectiveness derived from the much celebrated Operating Model and its focus on activity based costs, new revenues generated and the effective management of treasury operations, the cricketing body said.

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