[ad_1]
As a world-class billiard player or chess grandmaster, Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa has now supported the South African Cricket Board in a corner that they can only get out of by granting their wishes.
That’s the view of former International Cricket Council and Cricket South Africa CEO Haroon Lorgat following Minister Mthethwa’s announcement on Wednesday that CSA had until October 27 to give him written reasons why it shouldn’t intervene in their affairs afterward. of your Board’s continued refusal to resign.
Mthethwa has also notified the ICC of his intention to intervene, raising the possibility of the CSA membership being suspended, which would mean that the Proteas would be banned from international action and national cricket would no longer be recognized.
“It is a terrible situation and the Board now has so much egg on its face that they have come together to try to protect their own interests. But I think CSA is now snooked, they checkmate themselves. The Minister and Sascoc have covered their bases and I suspect that their legal advisers told them to be patient and follow the process, ”Lorgat said. The citizen on Wednesday .
“I was impressed by the patience and good process followed by the Minister and I think he has compared the notes with Sascoc and has given CSA a fair chance. CSA are members of Sascoc and Sascoc has oversight responsibility, but the arrogant Board has refused to budge. So the minister’s announcement is a positive step and hopefully now it’s checkmate. “
Lorgat was also highly critical of the CSA Board’s attempt to confront Mthethwa, as revealed by letters between the two parties published by The citizen Wednesday morning. (Read about it here: More trouble for embattled cricket Williams when Mthethwa cracks the whip.)
I’ve never seen this level of perseverance in South African sport before. You can win a battle against the Minister of Sports, but you will never win the war. Show me one stakeholder other than 12 in the CSA boardroom that supports the CSA position. There is no doubt that the minister has popular support for his actions, ”Lorgat said.
The seasoned administrator, who this week was appointed director of strategy and development for the Abu Dhabi T10 League, said it was not guaranteed, however, that the ICC would automatically suspend CSA if Mthethwa formally intervenes in its affairs.
“In terms of the ICC, there is a difference between interference and intervention. If there is a family and there is a fight here and there, that is normal in a marriage and the intervention of the sports minister would be tantamount to interference. But if there is a family and the father is derailed, if the children are injured or someone is going to be killed, then good people will intervene.
“I think the ICC can see this as a necessary intervention. An earlier example was India, when its Supreme Court led a committee of administrators for three years to reform the BCCI and away from people like the Srinivasans. They were not suspended because a proper process was followed and cricket supporters and stakeholders have the right to proper administration, ”Lorgat explained.
What will happen if the ICC decides to suspend Cricket South Africa?
- First, they will write to the Minister of Sports to tell him not to intervene or CSA will be suspended;
- If the Minister continues his intervention, the ICC will suspend CSA and stop all funding for them, as well as stop all recognized cricket, including Proteas and national teams. Any cricket in South Africa will be considered unauthorized cricket, plunging the country back into isolation and removing any games played during this period from the record books;
- The proposed tour of England in November / December will be canceled, meaning that CSA will lose around R70 million, a much-needed boost to its beleaguered finances;
- Zimbabwe was suspended by the ICC in mid-2019 due to political interference, meaning that qualification for the T20 World Cup was lost. The suspension was lifted three months later, when the Zimbabwean sports minister reinstated the ZC Board.
- A three-month suspension would decimate the South African season, ending the proposed series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and causing catastrophic damage to CSA’s already sorry financial situation.
For more news your way, download The Citizen app to iOS Y Android.
[ad_2]
