Shaun Pollock has been upset by some decisions

The politics of sport in the Republic have always been fraught with tension but right now it is virtually impossible to keep track of the key players' agendas within cricket.

South Africa's selectors, and the selection process itself, has been a shambles for several years.

Through no fault of their own men have been appointed to the panel in order to maintain an appropriate balance of white, black, Indian and Coloured faces.

Another legacy of apartheid is that not one of the current six played international cricket after 1970.

Only Mike Procter and Graeme Pollock played first class cricket, and that was because they are white.

Long serving

The other four were talented cricketers to a man, and victimized according to the country's laws during their playing days.

The incumbent convenor, Rushdi Magiet, inherited the top position on the retirement of Peter Pollock after the 1999 World Cup on the basis that he was the longest serving member.

His reign has been a hit-and-miss affair with bright moments like the emergence of batsman Ashwell Prince offset by many dull ones.

Magiet selected and announced touring squads without consultation with the captain or coach and even announced teams with too few or too many players, forcing assistants to scurry around issuing corrections.

Graeme Pollock is the most celebrated panel member

The most recently appointed member of the panel, Peter Bacela, came across his job in farcical circumstances.

Heralding from the Border region in the Eastern Cape and a radio broadcaster by trade, Bacela was fast tracked into cricket administration.

Three "Black African" members of the General Council are required to be elected according to the constitution.

Having failed to be elected to the Council at the last AGM, the Xhosa Bacela was preparing to leave the meeting when it was 'noticed' that there was no Black African on the selection panel.

He was quickly inducted.

There are no easy solutions to the Board's laudable desire to have demographic representation on the selection panel, and there will no doubt be much soul-searching in the months to come.

But the fact that they have recognized the farce that selection has become, should come as a comfort to every player in the country, be it at first class level or Test level.