Graeme Pollock weighed in on the controversial topic of transformation, saying that the Proteas don’t field their strongest side.

The national government has imposed a quota system, whereby South Africa dictates the demographics of the starting XI. Six players of colour have to be fielded, with two of those players having to be Black African.

Pollock expressed the view that as a result of the transformation policy, the team’s performance has been negatively affected.

‘The major thing is the problem with the politics and interference with the selection of players. It’s affecting the performance of the side – they don’t put the 11 best players on the field,’ Pollock told Sports 24.

He noted that the former No 1 Test side will not achieve the heights of past years until the system is abolished. Players have also opted to ply their trade overseas as a result, given the lure of lucrative nature of county cricket.

‘It’s never going to change,’ Pollock continued.

‘As South Africans, we’ve got to accept that South Africa are going to be middle of the road in their future Test cricket.

‘There are so many South Africans playing county cricket. The exchange rate [17 South African rand to the pound sterling] is a big factor,’ Pollock concluded.

Solidarity and Afriforum have opened a case against CSA and other national sporting governing bodies in an effort to have the system abolished.

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