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Beresford Williams (Rooster)
- The International Cricket Council follows closely the affairs of Cricket South Africa.
- This follows Wednesday’s news that the government will intervene in the running of the besieged organization.
- CSA has yet to file a formal complaint with the ICC citing government interference.
the International Cricket Council (ICC) is monitoring the situation in Cricket South Africa (CSA) after the country’s sports minister, Nathi Mthethwa, confirmed plans Wednesday morning to intervene in the governance of the game.
CSA has endured a month of trials with the government and the South African Sports Confederation and the Olympic Committee (Sascoc) who have become increasingly prominent in the organization’s affairs.
Sascoc and the sports portfolio committee have instructed CSA leadership, including Acting Chief Executive Officer Kugandrie Govender, Acting Chairman Beresford Williams and the entire board, to stand down while a Sascoc task force takes over the management of the organization.
It has left CSA reeling, with Fundudzi’s forensic report seeking to break down the leadership issues that have plagued the organization, also central to developments in the past month.
Administratively, CSA is fighting for its life, but it will be an even bigger concern for cricket fans how all of this will impact the national team.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ICC acknowledged receipt of Mthethwa’s intentions.
“The ICC has received a letter from the South African Ministry of Sport, Art and Culture advising of possible intervention in the affairs of Cricket South Africa,” said a spokesman.
“At this stage, no complaints have been received from Cricket South Africa regarding government intervention and Members are encouraged to resolve matters directly with their governments. We will continue to monitor the situation.”
The ICC constitution prohibits governmental or political interference in the functioning of its member councils and, in extreme circumstances, such interference may result in a member council losing its place at the ICC table.
Such a suspension would cause that council’s national teams to be sidelined from major ICC tournaments and tours.
However, the good news is that CSA has yet to file a formal complaint with the ICC citing such government interference. That would have to happen before the ICC considers taking any investigative action.
The ICC, for now, instead, is encouraging CSA and the government to work together to resolve any issues before the October 27 deadline that Mthethwa has given CSA to make written submissions with reasons why it shouldn’t. to intervene.
The ICC can intervene without a formal complaint from its member council, but that would only happen in extreme cases.
