South Africa on Friday removed David Teeger as their U-19 cricket captain for the pro-Israel comments that he had made in October. Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) decision comes at a time when the ‘Rainbow Nation’ has filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Teegar’s removal as captain also comes a week before the U-19 World Cup gets underway in South Africa. CSA cited concerns over the Teeger’s safety, anticipating protests at the World Cup venues that could possibly turn violent, as a reason behind their decision. “As is the case with all such events, CSA has been receiving regular security and risk updates regarding the World Cup. We have been advised that protests related to the war in Gaza can be anticipated at the venues for the tournament. “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, including between rival groups of protestors,” read a statement from CSA. Read | South Africa's genocide case against Israel: Can the UN do anything about it? Cricket South Africa felt that their decision was in the best interest of everyone involved, including the player in question. “CSA has a primary duty to safeguard the interests and safety of all those involved in the World Cup and must accordingly respect the expert advice of those responsible for the safety of participants and spectators. “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.” South Africa had filed a lawsuit against Israel at ICJ on 29 December, accusing the nation of committing genocide on Palestinians with a military campaign in Gaza. It asked the ICJ to order Israel to immediately stop the war, alleging that it had violated the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The court is expected to rule on the matter in the coming weeks. **Vantage | South Africa's Palestine connection and why it's suing Israel for genocide** Teeger had been named Rising Star at the ABSA Jewish Achiever Awards on 22 October. During his acceptance speech, the 19-year-old praised young Israeli soldiers, describing them as “true rising stars” that has since snowballed into a major controversy. “But more importantly, yes, I’ve been awarded this award, and yes, I am now the rising star, but the true rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel… So I’d like to dedicate this award to the South African family that married off one son whilst the other is still missing. And I’d like to dedicate it to the state of Israel and to every single soldier fighting so that we can live and thrive in the diaspora,” Teeger had said, according to the South African Jewish Report. Teeger’s comments had led to a group of pro-Palestinian supporters raising slogans against his selection outside Newlands during the second Test between South Africa and India. Teeger, however, remains part of the South African squad for now and is expected to feature in the XI, with the Proteas yet to name a new skipper. Hosts South Africa, who had won the tournament in 2014 under Aiden Markram’s captaincy, begin their campaign against West Indies in Potchefstroom in 19 January. The tournament itself had to be shifted to South Africa from Sri Lanka after the latter was suspended by the ICC for political interference.
Cricket South Africa cited concerns over the Teeger’s safety, anticipating protests at the World Cup venues that could possibly turn violent, as a reason behind their decision.
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