The punishment dished out by Cricket South Africa for the Warriors not adhering to the governing body's transformation policy could just be tip of the iceberg for the Eastern Cape side.
The Warriors were docked off points and fined R500,000 for fielding only two Black African players instead of the stipulated three during a CSA 1-Day Cup match against the Dolphins in February. As a result of the points deduction, they dropped down in the competition’s standings and will no longer be involved in Wednesday’s qualifier.
The Dolphins, who were then given the four points for the win, will now host the Titans at Kingsmead on Wednesday in the Qualifier 1.
Under Cricket SA’s transformation regulations related to all Men’s domestic cricket, teams are stipulated to field six players of colour which needs to include a mandatory of three Black African players in each game.
The Warriors coach Robin Peterson fielded six players of colour in a match against the Dolphins last month. Diego Rosier, Sinethemba Qeshile, Senuran Muthusamy, Andile Mokgakane, Jason Raubenheimer and Junaid Dawood all played, but the team only had two Black Africans in Qeshile and Mokgakane.
CSA launched a month-long investigation into why the Warriors breached their transformation policy. Eastern Province Cricket boss Donovan May was quoted saying “cricket reasons” was their explanation to CSA, as the Warriors decided to go with a coloured spinner ahead of a black seamer because of the nature of the Kingsmead pitch on the day.
“We’re going to appeal this matter because we think it was very unfair. There are other instances in which this has happened, but the other teams haven’t faced the music,” May told News24.
The Warriors now sit bottom of the overall Division 1 standings and are now in serious danger of being relegated at the end of the season.
According to a high-ranking cricket official, relegation to the Division 2 could have dire financial implications for the Warriors and Eastern Province cricket. They will lose out on television revenue, sponsorship revenue and reduced grant.
“Relegation could be fatal and affect livelihoods,” the official told IOL Sport.
The financial ecosystem of South African cricket relies heavily on CSA’s revenue, which comes from broadcast rights, hosting international tours, sponsorships, and the SA20 T20 league, where CSA is a majority shareholder.
CSA allocates funds to provinces, but Division 1 teams receive more support due to their higher competitive status and visibility. Division 2 teams operate on leaner budgets, with less access to high-profile matches or sponsorships
Division 1 teams also attract larger crowds, better sponsorship deals, and more broadcast exposure. Division 2 teams hardly get any exposure.
Less budget means the Warriors will lose many of their top players, as the salary cap in Division 2 is lower than it is in Division 1.
Combining these factors, relegation from Division 1 to Division 2 could lead to a massive financial hit for the Warriors, while also putting a strain on the province's cricket infrastructure and development pathways.
If the Warriors are relegated, there won’t be a single team from the Eastern Cape - the home of Black cricket - in Division 1.
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