Meshack Khotha
Meshack Khotha
The South African Cricketers Association (Saca) has been given an unprecedented task to draw up a plan on how to reach communities to promote cricket.
This emerged at a media conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday when Cricket South Africa (CSA), Saca and six franchises signed an agreement which will make professional players genuine stakeholders in the game.
The deal is also a memorandum of understanding that will run until April 30 2010.
CSA president Norman Arendse explained: "The memorandum of understanding contracts and benefits for players, regulates the number of playing contracts, provides for salary minimums and salary caps and for optimal use of SA players' resources through regulations relating to player transfers, player loan outs and playing overseas in the off season."
Arendse said the agreements would deal basically with everything that involved professional cricket.
"The agreement also provides that Saca must draw up a plan as to how they are going to reach out to the communities. We need more black youngsters from the townships to play cricket.
"We know their difficulties associated with the playing of cricket. But that is something we have already made provision for," added Arendse.
He further said the agreement was the product of cooperation over many months between the players and the administrators in the game.
Saca CEO Tony Irish said: "The agreement will enable players to have a stronger voice in running the game and therefore requires the players' great responsibility on and off the field."
Cricket plans to reach out wide
Meshack Khotha
Meshack Khotha
The South African Cricketers Association (Saca) has been given an unprecedented task to draw up a plan on how to reach communities to promote cricket.
This emerged at a media conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday when Cricket South Africa (CSA), Saca and six franchises signed an agreement which will make professional players genuine stakeholders in the game.
The deal is also a memorandum of understanding that will run until April 30 2010.
CSA president Norman Arendse explained: "The memorandum of understanding contracts and benefits for players, regulates the number of playing contracts, provides for salary minimums and salary caps and for optimal use of SA players' resources through regulations relating to player transfers, player loan outs and playing overseas in the off season."
Arendse said the agreements would deal basically with everything that involved professional cricket.
"The agreement also provides that Saca must draw up a plan as to how they are going to reach out to the communities. We need more black youngsters from the townships to play cricket.
"We know their difficulties associated with the playing of cricket. But that is something we have already made provision for," added Arendse.
He further said the agreement was the product of cooperation over many months between the players and the administrators in the game.
Saca CEO Tony Irish said: "The agreement will enable players to have a stronger voice in running the game and therefore requires the players' great responsibility on and off the field."