JOHANNESBURG. M.ir 2: Ray White, who quit last month as president of United Cricket Board of Sonih Afrh i. Ims launched a Minging attack on the country's cricket administrators, accusing them ol causing the sport lo fracture along racial lines'. reports AFP.

While, who opted out on February I I after being accused by a UCBSA council member of retarding transformation, claimed the Board had become Tittle more than the cricket organ of the (ruling) African National Congress (ANC)".

Tlie attack, made at a public meeting last week but only reported Wednesday -- in Johannesburg s Sowclan newspaper, are White's first utterances on the state of the sport since he stepped down.

He said the UCBSA "was now a cesspool of self-interest and politics'.

The black-white issue now dominates every decision of the UCBSA. which does not make the Job of maintaining South African cricket at the pinnacle of the game at all easy."

Off-field problems had to be addressed It the national team were not lo slip further and fur ther behind world champions Australia. White warned.

"While the Australians have gone from strength to strength, our team is showing the signs of the problems a flee ling the game In the boardroom."

He said lie was "extremely concerned" about government interference in the game. When he put up moderate resistance to ibis. he was swept away In "something like ethnic cleansing." he said.

Describing himself as a rejected president. White said the South African government had given I hr UCBSA Tremendous stick, day after day. about choosing all-white teams -

The government had not offered .i single word of congratulation after the national team last year won the mini World Cup in Bangladesh, murdered the West Indies" and won the Commonwealth Gaines.

"The only thing I heard was 'when they' were getting their gold medals in the Common wealth Games. It would have been nice if they did nol look like the England team'."

He said a government campaign to gel rid of him started after an impromptu speech he made in Cape Town at the end of the 1998/99 series against the West Indies in which he told politicians to keep their noses out oi sport.

His remarks followed complaints by then Sports Minister Sieve Tshwetc that he was tired of seeing a "lily-white" national cricket learn and that rising black stars should be given a chance to play for South Africa

The national team began to feel alienated and were very an-grv (hat the principle of merit selection had been departed from." White said

He described the current convenor oi m-Ic-c tors. Rushdie Magiet. who replaced Peter Pollock when the UCBSA demanded more black representation at execut ve level, as

Magiet did not even play particularly good first-class cricket and under him the selectors have made a series of blunders Ihal have been difficult to comprehend." While said. Ever since they decided lo put Hansie (Cronje, the na tional skipper) on trial at the beginning of the season, the team has stumbled along.