Teeger removed as captain, Luus added to SA u19 squad
With tensions around the ongoing war in Gaza at a fever-pitch, Cricket South Africa has chosen to relieve David Teeger of the captaincy of the South Africa u19 team, which will be in action at the ICC u19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa from 19 January.
Teeger was previously criticised by the Palestine Solidarity Alliance for comments he made at the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards in late October where he praised Israel’s soldiers after he was presented with the Rising Star Award.
An independent inquiry, led by Advocate Wim Trengrove, found that Teeger had not breached the codes of conduct of either Cricket South Africa or the Central Gauteng Lions.
However, in a statement on Thursday, Cricket South Africa said: “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 protesters.
“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 the players themselves, 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.”
Apart from a forthcoming change in captaincy, a further change was announced to the South African squad, with Lions’ fast bowler Esosa Aihevba being forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a left knee injury which he sustained during the recent Tri-Series against India and Afghanistan.
He has been replaced by Tristan Luus. The Waterkloof speedster was a standout performer for the Northern Champions at the recently concluded CSA Cubs Week, where he twice captured five-fors, led all wicket-takers, and helped the Champions successfully defend their title with a perfect record of five wins from five matches.
Luus also excelled as a hard-hitting lower order batsman, contributing a number of telling innings to the Champions’ cause.
He was named in the SA Schools team at the conclusion of the 2023 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Cricket Week and has signed with the Hollywoodbets Dolphins from 2024.
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