The South African Cricket Board has taken the decision to relieve David Teeger from the captaincy of the Under-19 World Cup team due to his public support for Israel, sparking concerns over potential protests and threats to the tournament.

Teeger, who was honoured as the Rising Star at the Jewish Achiever Awards in October 2023, dedicated his award to Jewish soldiers in Israel and recently expressed support for them on Twitter.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) made the official announcement of Teeger's removal as captain, emphasizing the decision's alignment with concerns about potential disruptions amid protests over Israel's actions in Gaza.

Despite the captaincy removal, Teeger will remain part of the U-19 team as a player, with the new captain set to be decided at a later date.

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SA U19 captain David Teeger has been relieved of his duties ahead of the U19 showpiece event set to be held in SA. A new captain will be announced in due course.#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/BtfmzCgye0
— Lawrence Bailey ⚪ 🇿🇦 (@LawrenceBailey0) January 12, 2024

International media reports highlight the possibility of protests during the U-19 World Cup, scheduled to commence on January 19 in South Africa. The host nation has been vocal about its stance on Israeli aggression in Palestine, filing a case in the International Court of Justice.

As the cricketing world gears up for the U-19 Cricket World Cup, commencing January 19, 2024, the Pakistan U-19 team has already departed for South Africa.