SASCOC rejects its intervention constitutes Government interference

On Thursday midnight, South Africa's Olympic body assumed control of cricket in the country by demanding that the CSA board and those senior executives who serve ex-officio on the board to step aside from the administration of CSA on full pay. They have also launched a month-long investigation to unearth many instances of maladministration and malpractice since at least December 2019. 

It was a move laden with danger as that could fall under the ICC's rules on government interference, meaning the national team coming under the radar of being kicked out of the game at the international level. However, the SASCOC have themselves come forward to clarify the matter, saying the intervention doesn’t constitute Government interference.

"SASCOC rejects any allegation or insinuation that the SASCOC intervention constitutes Government interference. At no stage, does or did SASCOC act under the direction or control of the Minister of Sport in the country, or the Government of the Republic of South Africa. The Board exercises its judgment independently of the Government, or any other outside influence,” SASCOC wrote in a letter to ICC.

"The concerns with regard to the administration of the sport in the country relate, inter-alia, to the following issues of concern, namely...the directive by the minister of sport and recreation for SASCOC to intervene into the affairs of CSA."

As per a report on Cricbuzz, even though SASCOC is not a government organisation, every sport in the country comes under the ambit of SASCOC and can be put under administration by it. According to the South African law, no rivals to SASCOC are allowed which means without SASCOC's approval, players and teams would not officially represent South Africa and could not compete wearing the Protea badge or national colours.

"The SASCOC Constitution also makes provision for SASCOC to enquire into the operational, administrative and financial activities of any of its Members where there are allegations of maladministration. CSA as a Member Federation subscribes to the SASCOC Constitution, and is bound by it," the letter added.