South Africa’s director of cricket and former Test captain Graeme Smith has hit back through his lawyer on allegations of racial bias in a report by an ombudsman.
David Baker, former International Cricket Council chief of legal and Smith’s personal counsel, issued a statement Friday in which he called on Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeja, who chaired the Social Justice and Nation Building Commission (SJN) to investigate allegations of racial discrimination in the South. disputed the findings. African Cricket.
In a report released on Wednesday, Ntsebeza found that Smith “failed to refute the presumption of unfair discrimination” in appointing former Test wicketkeeper and longtime teammate Boucher as head coach of the national team ahead of Enoch Nkwe. , which was a black coach. Served briefly as director of the national team.
“Some of the findings are completely questionable and without any basis,” Baker said, claiming that lawyers for “various respondents” had raised “material concerns” about the integrity of the SJN process.
Read also | Year Ender 2021: Mohammad Rizwan Headlines T20 Team of the Year
“Significant parts of the evidence are not presented in the report,” Baker said.
“For example, the Ombudsman states that Smith did not explain why he appointed Boucher in his evidence. However, Smith and (former CSA president) Mr. (Chris) Nanjani explained the reasons in their affidavits submitted to SJN. has been addressed.”
Ntsebeza also found that Smith’s appointment was irregular and that her refusal to report to then-chief executive Thabang Moro, who was later dismissed for misconduct, was evidence of “racial bias against black leadership”.
Baker explained that Smith had not appointed himself and that his appointment had been approved by the national selectors, the entire board of CSA and senior officials in the organisation.
He had worked happily with Moro’s acting successor, who was black, and three black presidents.
Baker did not directly address the allegation of racial bias in the decision when Smith was the captain to use star batsman AB de Villiers as wicketkeeper ahead of Black reserve wicketkeeper Thami Solekile in a Test series in England in 2012.
But Baker said the CSA has to consider “several fundamental flaws” in the hearing process.
“For example, how do you draw far-reaching and public conclusions of racial bias against certain people and say in the same breath that they are ‘temporary,’ as the Ombudsman has done?
Read also | Ashes 2021-22: Pat Cummins to end COVID-19 isolation at home in Sydney
“How is the CSA expected to apply those findings when the Ombudsman, by its own admission, has stated that it ‘cannot draw definite conclusions in an instance where the evidence of both the alleged victims and the alleged perpetrators has not been examined’ went’?
“Why was the evidence not tested properly? The Lokpal had an opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses under the terms of reference and he did not take advantage of that opportunity.”
get all IPL news and cricket score Here
,