McMillan in hot water (24 February 1999)
THE South Africa all-rounder Brian McMillan faces heavy sanctions from the United Cricket Board in Johannesburg following an allegation that he made a racist remark while fielding during last weekend's provincial match between Western Province and
24-Feb-1999
24 February 1999
McMillan in hot water
By Charles Randall in Johannesburg
THE South Africa all-rounder Brian McMillan faces heavy sanctions
from the United Cricket Board in Johannesburg following an
allegation that he made a racist remark while fielding during
last weekend's provincial match between Western Province and
Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The Board will today study affidavits from McMillan, the umpires,
the batsmen at the crease, the captains, and bowler Claude
Henderson, who was supposedly urged by McMillan to send down a
"coolie creeper" to Ashraf Mall, the Natal batsman.
The use of the word coolie was described by a UCB official as
"hurtful" to those of Asian stock, and the publicity from the
match in Cape Town has arrived at a sensitive time for the Board,
who last week finalised the legal details of their revolutionary
shake-up of domestic professional cricket.
Next season all 11 provincial teams - the existing nine in the
top division, plus Easterns at Benoni and North-West at
Potchefstroom - will be compelled to contract at least three
non-white players in squads to be limited to a maximum of 17
names.
This number excludes international players contracted to the UCB,
but the new structure demands a major change in attitude among
the big provinces such as Gauteng, who start a four-day match
against England A at Wanderers tomorrow. The former Transvaal
have 32 players on their books this season.
The best players failing to gain contracts will be encouraged to
join a pool, allowing the weaker provinces to fill gaps in their
own strength, with an eye on their non-white quota. Ali Bacher,
managing director of the Board, described it as a "redistribution
of playing strength".
He said: "It's a unique idea. In this pool there will be a lot of
players of colour. For example, in Cape Town there are many
coloured cricketers who just cannot get into the Western Province
A team, but they're good enough to play first-class cricket."
There will be a wages ceiling and no transfer fees; the result
should be higher standards, fewer full-time professionals and
lower costs. England's bloated county set-up should take note.
The racist allegations coincide with governmental pressure on the
UCB to fast-track non-white players. McMillan has made front-page
news, attracting stinging criticism.
Mike Hickson, vice-president of Kwa-Zulu Natal, said: "A lot of
whites don't realise how hurtful these things are. This incident
is proof the man doesn't have any black friends."
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)