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Cape Town - The struggling Cape Cobras have received a setback with the news that convenor of their selection committee, Alan Dawson, has quit.
Dawson, an admirable exponent of swing bowling who represented Western Province and the Cape Cobras for 15 years, was appointed in his role in September.
But he has stepped down with immediate effect as he feels the situation at the Cobras has made his position "untenable".There is tension in the Cobras camp as several players feel coach Paul Adams is not fit for his role.
After the Cobras extended Adams’ contract shortly before the season started, the players - through the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) - took to the Council for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to air their concerns.
The CCMA recommended that an independent assessor be appointed into Adams’ role as head coach.
This off-field drama has led to poor performances on the field of play, with the Cobras losing three of their first four Sunfoil Series matches, including one draw to sit bottom of the standings.
Dawson, who also played 19 ODIs and two Tests for South Africa, commented on his decision via a press statement released by the Cobras: “This has been one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my cricketing career. Yet I feel it is the right decision in terms of the situation and the circumstances at present. I feel at this stage as a convenor, I cannot make any difference to the performance of the team."
Dawson said he will remain a die-hard and loyal ex-Cobras cricketer and supporter.
Beresford Williams, chairperson of WCC and president of Western Province Cricket Association, hailed Dawson’s significant contributions during his short tenure. “I would like to thank Dawsy for his invaluable contributions to the team and the energy he invested during his stint,” Williams said.
The selection panel for the next match against the Dolphins has been restructured. Angelo Carolissen, chairperson of the playing affairs committee of Western Cape Cricket, Paul Adams, the Cape Cobras coach, Ashwell Prince, assistant coach, and the two captains, Omphile Ramela and Justin Ontong, will serve as the selection committee.
Ramela wears the armband as skipper in the four-day format, while Ontong is at the helm in the limited-overs formats.
Dawson represented Western Province in 98 first-class games, claiming 305 wickets with 6-18 his best innings-haul. He scored a career-best 143 with the blade.
