Ontong has right credentials for A Team selection policy

Trevor Chesterfield

Centurion - At some stage in the first week of the new century South Africa's national selectors might suddenly realise there are other teams to select than those for limited-over internationals. First up is a three-day game for the South African Invitation XI: a side for fringe players although what fringe areas we are looking at depends on what Messrs Rushdi Magiet and Co feel applies in terms of selection policy. Hopefully it is not going to be a side which will give those who look on politics as a selection criteria instead of skill, a chance to air their uninformed views. If the selection policy is based on firm philosophy that it is a chance to look at fringe talent for the South African A team and a direct peep into the future, the selectors will at least send the right signals to the players who either did not make the A Team squad which played against Sri Lanka A, or those who did. It is a touch alarming that talent, among players of colour is often not accurately recognised. If, as an example Henry Williams is selected for the President's XI on the strength of his impressive wicket haul this season, is it a selection that is likely to lead to advancement to the senior ranks and a tour to India or Sri Lanka? Or is it going to lead to a place in the A Team to the West Indies next April and May? At 32 Williams has produced some remarkable performances in helpful conditions this summer; it was also suggested some of his six wickets against Northerns in their first innings was mainly from a self-inflected efforts by the Northerns batsmen. Whatever the reason promotion to the senior ranks is far removed and another A Team tour cap looms as a form of acknowledgement and compensation. Roger Telemachus is another case in point. Twice ruled out of senior tours through injury his way back to the senior ranks is through the A Team route. There are other candidates as well: David Terbrugge, Mornantau Hayward, Ross Veenstra, Charl Willoughby, Victor Mpitsang and Greg Smith. There is a much younger brigade of talent though. Of batsmen, bowlers and wicketkeepers, with some interesting variation in spin bowling. It is from this group where the selectors need to focus attention and, to a degree, develop a philosophy in keeping with A Team selection policy. As it is there are two national selectors who have privately admitted the choices are so wide that selection of an A Team or even a President's XI is not easy. This is why a lack of philosophy and a bridging gap between a couple of seniors allied to junior players of talent becomes so important. Into this category slip young men such as Justin Ontong: his pedigree is unquestioned, his talent sparkling as any black opal in South Africa's crown of quality and excellence. At 19 he has the sort of flair and audacious spirit which, with some careful coaching husbandry, would create a batsman of the future. And what better than a place in the A Team tour of the West Indies to launch a career? Transformation is one thing as it is a careful process which, allowed to do its job, can work in favour of the spirit of merit selection. Political interference, government or otherwise, can destroy much of the hard, long hours of work which coaches put into the system to make better players out of the material they have. It is here where selection policy needs to be carefully managed, not manacled by the intrusive demands of those with agendas outside the realm of the sport.