PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) - South African cricket authorities have scrapped a racially based team selection policy, saying all senior sides would now be chosen purely on merit.

The decision was taken at a weekend meeting of 150 senior cricket officials, who decided that a three-year-old racial quota system had served its purpose in transforming the sport, which was previously dominated by white players.

"We can now be confident that we can move from numbers-based transformation to one which is driven by ownership and a spirit of responsibility and teamwork," Percy Sonn, the president of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, said in a statement. "Transformation will continue apace in cricket . . . but we now believe that cricket people are mature enough to take responsibility for that process."

The board's previous policy would have required senior provincial sides to select a minimum of four black or mixed-race players in the upcoming season. No racial quota was set for the national team, but the board insisted selectors pick at least one black or mixed-race player.

Last season at least 66 black cricketers played at senior provincial level - well above the target of 44 set by the board.

"We have seen enough real change to be confident that these sides can be selected on merit and that we have enough real quality players of colour that their presence in these senior teams no longer needs to be dictated by a quota system," Sonn said.

Instead of imposing racial quotas on teams, the board issued guidelines recommending that at least half of the second-string provincial sides be black or of mixed race.