Cricket South Africa (CSA) has stripped David Teeger from his role as their under-19 captain just days before the World Cup.
After initially being cleared of code-of-conduct violations for comments made at the Absa Jewish Achiever Rising Star awards in October, CSA announced their decision this week.
“CSA is honoured to have been named by the ICC as hosts of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament,” the statement read.
“We have also been advised that they are likely to focus on the position of the SA Under-19 captain, David Teeger, and that there is a risk that they could result in conflict or even violence, between rival groups of protestors.”
“In all 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.”
Calls for the player to be removed from the team came when the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA) filed an official complaint with SASCOC, CSA and Gauteng Lions Cricket in November.
“David Teeger’s comments are clearly a provocative and inflamatory political statement, worsened by the fact that he made it at a time when thousands of innocent Palestinian men, women, children and babies were being killed by the Israeli army,” the PSA said in a statement.
At the awards ceremony Teeger dedicated his award to Israeli soldiers: “Yes, I’ve been given this award, and yes, 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 love and thrive in the diaspora.”
Israel has killed over 23 000 Palestinians since the escalation of violence on 7 October 2023, the most from any conflict in the 21st century.
Pictured above: David Teeger
Image source: @k9_reaper
