South African cricket was plunged into chaos after the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) instructed the board of Cricket South Africa board to step aside.
In a strongly worded letter, SASCOC demanded that “the CSA board and those senior executives who serve ex-officio on the board (the company secretary, the acting CEO, the CFO and the COO) are directed to step aside from the administration of CSA on full pay”, citing “many instances of maladministration and malpractice that have occurred since at least December 2019.”
“This has manifestly caused great concern and consternation amongst your own members, former and current members of the national team of the Proteas, stakeholders, sponsors, and members of the cricket-loving public,” the letter read.
“There can be no doubt that this has caused cricket to lose the trust and confidence of members of the public, stakeholders, sponsors and the players represented by SACA [the South African Cricketers’ Association]. All this has brought cricket into disrepute.”
“SASCOC has attempted to address these issues in two meetings with the CSA board: one was exploratory, and the other failed to take place mainly because of the fact that CSA failed to make the… forensic report available to the SASCOC board despite promises and undertakings by CSA to do so. CSA is in receipt of our letter which records that the board’s decision to make the said report available only on a limited basis to the president and board members of SASCOC, is wholly unreasonable and irrational given the apparent nature and scope of the report.”
Cricket South Africa has been embroiled in controversy after a number of key board members stepped down following corruption charges. In August, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Thabang Moroe was fired for misconduct after an independent investigation found him guilty of misconduct. He had been charged with a number of allegations‚ including the abuse of credit cards‚ the revocation of media accreditation for journalists during the Mzansi Super League and insubordination.
Acting CEO Jacques Faul and president Chris Nenzani resigned last month with Kugandrie Govender replacing Faul.Acting CEO Jacques Faul and president Chris Nenzani resigned last month with Kugandrie Govender replacing Faul.
In response, CSA released a statement objecting to SASCOC’s decision.
“CSA, including its Members’ Council, does not agree with the resolution taken by SASCOC and has not had the opportunity to engage with SASCOC on various issues raised in the communication.
“In addition, CSA is taking legal advice regarding the basis on which SASCOC has sought to intervene in the business affairs of CSA. CSA does, however, commit to engaging further with SASCOC to understand its position and to find common ground with it in the best interests of cricket,” said CSA.
The situation currently puts CSA at risk of a strong response from the ICC. In July 2019, the ICC handed Zimbabwe and Nepal with suspensions due to government interference. However, after a board meeting in October in Dubai, the two teams were re-instated.