JOHANNESBURG – Cricket South Africa’s administration has committed to a “Turn-around Roadmap” following a lengthy meeting between the organisation’s leadership and the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa on Thursday evening.
A CSA delegation, led by the organisation’s president, Chris Nenzani met Mthethwa to provide him with an overview of the organisation including its challenges, risks and financial status. A statement from the Ministry describes the talks, which started around 5pm and continued until after 8pm, as “robust and frank.”
Cricket South Africa has come under fire in recent months for its fractured relationship with the players, the damage to its own reputation caused by an out of control CEO and the recent resignations of four members of its Board of Directors. Cricket SA suspended Thabang Moroe last week pending an independent forensic audit.
At Thursday’s meeting, Mthethwa instructed CSA’s administrators to provide details of the actions in the roadmap as well as clear timelines and allocated responsibilities. Nenzani and Co. unanimously committed to implement the “turn-around Roadmap,” in four phases over the next six months.
On Friday afternoon, Nenzani called an “urgent” joint meeting of the remaining eight members of the Board of Directors and the Members Council, a body made up of all 14 provincial presidents that will be held in Paarl, just before the Mzansi Super League final on Monday.
Mthethwa instructed CSA to engage with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) about its turnaround strategy. How much good that will do, remains to be seen. It was because of consultation with Sascoc in 2012, that Cricket SA chose to ignore the recommendations of the Nicholson Inquiry about the structure of its administration, something which ultimately led to the current mess the organisation is facing.
Sascoc was also subjected to a Commission of Inquiry last year and is itself struggling to implement some of the recommendations made by that Commission. It’s outgoing president Gideon Sam admitted at a special general meeting last week, that Sascoc was facing multiple concerns all while trying to plan for the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year.
Cricket SA’s problems may then be viewed as a distraction, which cricket certainly can’t afford, as CSA is in crisis at the moment and needs proper leadership and advice.
For now, Cricket SA has an interim chief executive at the helm of its management in Jacques Faul, while former Proteas captain, Graeme Smith has agreed to be the Director of Cricket for three months.
Smith will hold a press conference at Newlands on Saturday where he is expected to unveil Mark Boucher as the national team’s head coach for the four match series against England that starts at SuperSport Park on Boxing Day.
Enoch Nkwe, who was the interim head coach for the Proteas tour to India is expected to take on the role of Boucher’s assistant.