(Cricket News) In response to worries that he might be targeted by anti-war demonstrators, South Africa, the hosts of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, have decided to remove David Teeger from captaincy.
Teeger will still be a member of the team, as confirmed by officials on Friday.
Teeger was the subject of an independent investigation launched by Cricket South Africa (CSA) last month after he made remarks at an October awards ceremony endorsing Israeli soldiers in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Teeger said, “I am now the rising star, but the true rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel. And I would like to dedicate it to the state of Israel and every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora,” during the Jewish Achievement Awards ceremony.
Although the inquiry cleared him of any wrongdoing, his demotion from the captaincy came amid tensions related to the South African government’s accusation of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
While Teeger was found not guilty, Cricket South Africa expressed concern that keeping him as captain might heighten tensions given the South African government’s recent accusations against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA) lodged a complaint with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) in response to Teeger’s remarks.
“CSA said in a statement on Friday that they have been informed that protests about the Gaza War can be expected at the tournament venues. They have also been informed that these protests are likely to center around the views of SA Under-19 captain David Teeger and that there is a possibility that they could lead to conflict or even violence, including between opposing protestor groups.”
The board has not yet selected the team’s new captain for the global tournament, which gets underway on January 19. “In the circumstances, CSA has decided that David should be relieved of the captaincy for the tournament. This is in the best interests of all the players, the SA U19 team, and David himself.”
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