South Africa selectors sacked

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has sacked the entire selection panel, Mike Proctor, convenor of the selectors said on Wednesday, a day after head coach Mickey Arthur resigned ahead of a tour to India. Procter told Talk Radio 702 that "a meeting held last week with CSA bosses did not go well". "Whatever transpired at that meeting led them to get rid of Mickey and also the selectors," Proctor said. The Proteas coach Arthur said on Tuesday the timing of his resignation was unfortuanate. "[CSA chief executive] Gerald Majola called me up and told me that the selection panel was dysfunctional. It was a huge shock to us all," Proctor said.

The former South Africa and Gloucestershire all-rounder disputed earlier reports that Arthur's departure was due to a clash with captain Graeme Smith. "As far as I know there was no problem between Graeme and Mickey. They got on well," Procter said. Newspaper reports on Wednesday suggested that the surprise resignation of Arthur, together with the dismissal of the selection panel, was linked to the contentious issue of quotas for more black players in the national team. Procter told the radio show that only CSA could answer the question of whether quotas and racial transformation of the team was the reason the selectors were fired. * Reuters