FOCUSING ON THE CRICKET Keshav Maharaj emphasised the Dolphins' triumph in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge amid transformation guideline controversies that altered the competition's outcome. Picture: Ryan Wilkisky
Image: Ryan Wilkisky
It’s been a hot topic of debate as the Dolphins were fortuitously elevated to second in the Cricket South Africa (CSA) Provincial One-Day Challenge, which ultimately led to the Durban outfit lifting the trophy.
The Warriors were docked points in the competition, according to CSA’s transformation guidelines, for fielding only two Black African players instead of the required three during their match against the Dolphins in the competition in February.
The Dolphins were given the four points, which were therefore awarded hosting rights for their qualifier match against the Titans, which they went on to win.
The Dolphins, making the most of the decision which benefited them, also went on to win the final against Boland to be crowned champions.
For the Dolphins and Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj, the incidents off the pitch were not allowed to affect their mindsets.
“Being awarded the points very much helped our cause,” Maharaj told SportsBoom.co.za.
“Look, obviously the politics are left to the relevant people. But that put us in a position to host a home semi [qualifiers], and we always spoke about writing a fairy tale story, and it's amazing how things worked out.”
Maharaj said his side were motivated to make the most of their opportunity.
“The stars just aligned for us. We were just grateful for the opportunity we were gifted with.
“We played really good cricket towards the end of this competition.”
Meanwhile, Liam Jacobs, DA member of parliament and spokesperson on Sports, Arts & Culture, did not take kindly to how the issue was handled by CSA.
“True transformation must focus on nurturing talent from the grassroots level, improving access to facilities, and ensuring that opportunities are available to all aspiring players, regardless of race,” Jacobs said in a statement.