David Tiger was supposed to lead his team (South Africa) in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup tournament that starts on January 19. However, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on January 12 that he has been removed from his position, citing the decision was made in light of the protests related to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Tiger will now only remain as a player in the squad. The cricketer was nominated for the Rising Star award at the Jewish Achiever Awards in October 2023, where he dedicated his award to the Jewish soldiers in Israel and called them ‘true rising stars’ during the war in Gaza. After winning the award, he said, ‘I am now a rising star, but the real rising stars are the young soldiers in Israel. I want to dedicate this award to the Israeli soldiers.’
His comments sparked outrage among the pro-Palestinian supporters, who planned to stage demonstrations at the venues of the World Cup. CSA said they had received regular security and risk updates regarding the tournament and were advised that there was a risk of conflict or even violence, including between rival groups of protesters.
CSA said they had a primary duty to safeguard the interests and safety of all those involved in the World Cup and decided that Tiger should be relieved of the captaincy for the tournament. This was in the best interests of all the players, the SA U19 team and Tiger himself.
Tiger was replaced by another player as the captain of the host team. South Africa will play their first match against West Indies on January 19, followed by matches against England and Scotland. The World Cup, which was moved from Sri Lanka last November due to government interference, will also be played in Benoni, Bloemfontein, Kimberley and East London.