David Teeger latest: Protest planned for CSA offices

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) this week called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to force Cricket South Africa (CSA) to reinstate David Teeger as SA under-19 captain. 

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As reported by The South African website, Teeger was stripped of the captaincy of the South Africa under-19 team last week due to security concerns, according to a CSA press release.

These concerns reportedly relate to comments Teeger made last year in which he expressed his support for Israeli soldiers in the ongoing war in Gaza.

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CSA established an independent investigation into Teeger’s comments.

Advocate Wim Trengove was appointed to investigate a complaint made by the Palestinian Solidarity Alliance.

Trengove’s final determination cleared Teeger of any breaches of the Constitution and of CSA’s codes of conduct.

CSA then issued a statement accepting the outcome and confirming Teeger as South Africa under-19 captain for the Under-19 World Cup to take place in South Africa, starting on Friday, 19 January.

David Teeger stripped of captaincy

However, at the proverbial 11th-hour, CSA stripped Teeger of the captaincy, confirming as much in a press release last Friday.

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The release stated: Cricket South Africa (CSA) is honoured to have been named by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as hosts of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup which commences on 19 January. This decision was only taken in November last year after the original hosts, Sri Lanka, were suspended by the ICC, leaving us with little time to make all the necessary preparations. 

‘As is the case with all such events, CSA has been receiving regular security and risk updates regarding the World Cup. We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament.   

‘We have also been advised that they are likely to focus on the position of the SA Under-19 (SA U19) captain, David Teeger, and that there is a risk that they could result in conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protestors. 

‘CSA has a primary duty to safeguard the interests and safety of all those involved in the World Cup and must accordingly respect the expert advice of those responsible for the safety of participants and spectators. 

‘In all the circumstances, CSA has decided that David should be relieved of the captaincy for the tournament. This is in the best interests of all the players, the SA U19 team and David himself.  

‘David will remain an important and active member of the squad and we wish him and the team every success in the tournament. The newly appointed captain will be announced in due course.’

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According to Daily Maverick, on Tuesday this week, a meeting between SAJBD and CSA broke down.

“We were called into this meeting where Cricket South Africa were given an opportunity to explain to us why, in fact, this was not an antisemitic incident, but why there were other reasons for David being stripped of his captaincy,” SAJBD national chairperson Karen Milner told a media briefing.

“Having come out of this meeting, having heard the responses… there was nothing that Cricket SA was able to present that was in the least bit convincing that there is a security threat.

“We requested the security report. They informed us it wasn’t a report, it was a security briefing.

“When we made the point that it’s fairly obvious that there is no benefit to him to remain on the field but stripped of his captaincy – and on top of that, he would like to remain in his captaincy – they shifted the argument.

“They moved from arguing that this was about David’s safety to a broad-based argument that this is in fact about the safety of everybody else and of the people who were coming to [spectate].

“Every single time we challenged them on the safety issue, they shifted the goalposts, and that is why we understand this as deeply, deeply antisemitic.

“What they have done is found an excuse to exclude a young Jewish cricketer to strip him of his honours in the most hurtful and humiliating way, days before the start of the tournament.”

SA Under-19 to play West Indies

Reports indicate that a protest is planned for outside the CSA offices in Johannesburg.

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The SA Under-19 side will play the West Indies in their opening World Cup match in Potchefstroom on Friday, 19 January.

The match is due to start at 10:00.

Teeger remains part of the squad which will now be captained by Western Province all-rounder Juan James.

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