Majola is a former national team selector

But it appears Dr Nyoka's views have little support among the cricket fraternity in other parts of the country.

In a joint statement, the presidents of the Boland, Border, Eastern Province, Easterns, Free State, Griqualand West, KwaZulu-Natal, Northerns, North West, Western Province condemned the remarks.

They said they had the "great faith" in Majola, who succeeded Dr Ali Bacher as chief executive of the United Cricket Board of South Africa in January last year.

Quotas

"Gauteng is party to all the decisions which the CEO has had to implement and Dr Nyoka's utterances are therefore inexplicable.

"We the presidents of the other provinces hope that the views Dr Nyoka expressed were his own and not those of Gauteng Cricket, and that Gauteng's failure to attend a meeting of great importance such as the proposed amendment of the constitution to accommodate South African cricket's restructuring is his failure and not that of Gauteng Cricket."

Justin Ontong made his Test debut amid controversy

The statement concluded: "We support our CEO and reject the name-calling he has been subjected to with contempt."

The subject of racial quotas is a thorny one within South African cricket.

Provincial teams are currently required to include at least three black or coloured players, but that number will increase to four next year.

The national team has no specific quota imposed on it, except that it should be "a team of colour."

There was a row earlier this year when Jacques Rudolph was chosen for a Test match against Australia in Sydney, only for UCBSA president Percy Sonn to insist that Justin Ontong play in the game instead.

Several former players, including Clive Rice, claimed the national team was not being picked on merit.

But government spokesman Graham Abrahams responded by accusing them of "crude attempts to shift the balance of power back to those who had gained from apartheid cricket in the past".

Dr Nyoka, meanwhile, is thought to be planning a fresh challenge to Sonn for the UCBSA presidency after an unsuccessful attempt to unseat him last year.