“The reality is that we can’t keep pretending there is nothing wrong.” – Ashwell Prince
TELFORD VICE in Cape Town
ASHWELL Prince has come out swinging like he never did in his years as a circumspect Test batter in the wake of David Bedingham agreeing to play for Durham for the entire 2020 season. Prince now coaches the Cape Cobras, Bedingham is one of his players, and the county complication means he will miss South Africa’s 2019-20 franchise one-day competition.
“It’s about opportunity, it’s about uncertainty for the players,” Prince was quoted as saying in a Cobras release on Friday. “We tried everything to keep David here. In my honest opinion he has a better chance to play international cricket for South Africa if he had to stay. It’s high time that CSA [Cricket South Africa] sit down and look at things a little bit closer and get to the fact of the matter of why players are leaving. Don’t beat around the bush. That’s where we’re at. I have a good understanding why he left. If anyone at CSA has spoken to him, they will also understand the reason.”
Cricbuzz has learnt that the matter was indeed raised with CSA acting director of cricket Graeme Smith — who in December talked Dwaine Pretorius out of signing a Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire, which would have precluded him from playing for South Africa. But Pretorius, then uncapped, was in South Africa’s squad at the time and has since played three Tests. Bedingham, 25, has played for the country’s Colts and under-19 teams but has yet to attract the attention of the national selectors.
“If I have to criticise, people who can play at the highest level cannot just be seen around every corner; you just don’t see it — it’s 1% of players who can play at the highest level,” Prince was quoted as saying. “Yes, there’s no guarantee that David could go on to play at the highest level. But in my opinion I feel that he had a good chance to play international cricket. Some people might say he has not done enough yet, but you can argue that he should be around the South Africa A squads at the very least and he hasn’t had an opportunity at that level. The reality is that we can’t keep pretending there is nothing wrong.”
Like Pretorius, Bedingham is white. And in terms of CSA’s selection policy teams for franchise matches must include three black African players and three more who are generic black: typically of mixed race — or “coloured” — or of Asian descent. South Africa’s demographics mean the Cobras have an abundance of homegrown coloured players to choose from but struggle to groom black Africans. And when they find them, white players could lose out. So Prince’s issue is likely with the quota for black Africans — though he didn’t spell that out in his comments, perhaps because that would provoke outrage in black cricket circles.
The ink was still wet on the news of Bedingham’s imminent departure when it emerged that Durham had also acquired Farhaan Behardien’s services in a Kolpak deal. Unlike Bedingham, Behardien is coloured. Also unlike Bedingham, Behardien is 36 and in the autumn of his career. But South Africa’s structures can ill afford to forego the knowledge and experience he has amassed in 114 first-class matches, 59 ODIs and 38 T20Is.
Bedingham averages 45.75 with seven centuries in his 55 first-class innings. In 23 trips to the crease for the the upper tier Cobras he has made three hundreds and averages 50.42.
In an interview with SA Cricket Magazine in November he was quoted as saying: “My dream is still to play for my country. Once you believe you can’t play for your country, though, you do have to look at options like Kolpak. There is obviously money and security abroad, as guys like Simon Harmer and Duanne Olivier [who have signed Kolpak deals] have shown. One doesn’t always know how they will fare abroad, though, with the different conditions, pitches, lifestyle, etcetera. It’s different for everyone. Some are happy to take the risk to earn the money. Others are more family-orientated and might need to decide otherwise. I’m not there yet, but if I do get there, I’ll look at all the aspects with perspective and decide accordingly.”
Bedingham’s decision to sign as an overseas player rather than a member of the Kolpak crew means he may yet be back to stake his claim to a place in South Africa’s team. But he is now a big step removed from doing so.
First published by Cricbuzz.
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