The captain of the under-19 cricket team in South Africa has been removed from his position due to concerns about potential protests against war.
South Africa’s hosts have removed David Teeger from his role as captain for their U-19 Cricket World Cup due to concerns that he may face opposition from anti-war protestors. However, he will still be a member of the team, according to officials who announced this news on Friday.
Teeger was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent inquiry established by Cricket South Africa (CSA) last month following comments he made in support of Israeli soldiers at an awards ceremony in October. The teenager was recognised at the Jewish Achiever Awards and said: “I’m now the rising star, but the true rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel. And I’d like to dedicate it to the state of Israel and every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora.”
The remarks sparked anger from the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA), who filed a grievance with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC). Although Teeger was found innocent by the investigation, he has been demoted while the South African government has accused Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The CSA is concerned that keeping the 19-year-old as captain could escalate tensions during the competition.
CSA released a statement stating that they have received information about potential protests at the tournament venues regarding the war in Gaza. They have also been warned that these protests may specifically target SA Under-19 captain David Teeger, which could lead to conflict or violence between different groups of protestors. As a precaution, CSA has decided to remove David from his role as captain for the tournament, in order to ensure the safety and well-being of all players, the SA U19 team, and David himself.
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The CSA has confirmed that Teeger will continue to be a member of the squad for the event, which will take place from January 19th to February 11th. They also stated that Teeger will play a crucial role in the team’s success and wished him and the rest of the team well in the tournament. The name of the newly chosen captain will be announced at a later time.
Source: theguardian.com
