South Africa to escape ICC ban as CSA agrees to appoint interim board
CSA have appointed an interim board
|Cricket South Africa’s member’s council, after weeks of refusal, on Monday, agreed to appoint an interim board, thereby swaying away from a potential ICC ban owing to government interference. The move also means that the forthcoming series against England will sail smoothly for the hosts.
In a huge relief for South African cricket, Cricket South Africa’s member’s council, on Monday, agreed to appoint an interim board, as proposed by the government. The South African government, earlier, had suggested putting in place an interim board to take control of the damning situation of the sport of cricket in the country, but CSA’s member’s council - the highest authority in the board - refused to recognize the same, thereby putting CSA in the risk of going under administration and receiving a potential ICC ban, like Zimbabwe did last year. However, all that and more changed on Monday, as the member’s council, finally, agreed to appoint an interim board, as proposed by the government.
The new nine-member interim board will be chaired by Judge Zak Yaqoob and includes former CSA chief Haroon Lorgat. It also includes seasoned administrator Andre Odendaal, Omphile Ramela, Stavros Nikalo, Judith February, Andile Dawn Mbatha, Xolani Vonya, and Nkeko Caroline Mampuru.
The appointment of the interim board is a ‘Two Birds, one stone’ situation for South African cricket as apart from them ducking potential state control and a subsequent ICC ban, their limited-overs series against England, which is scheduled to kick-off with the T20Is on November 27, is also expected to go ahead without any obstruction. The English squad is expected to land in the Rainbow Nation on Tuesday.
