Reports | South Africa on verge of ICC ban as government takes over control
In a move that could potentially ban South Africa from playing international cricket, the South African government has taken control of cricket in the country. South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee have asked the board to step aside from the administration on full pay.
After a decade long maladministration in South African Cricket that saw multiple board changes along with accusations of not meeting transformation targets at the board and coaching staff level, the axe has finally fallen on Cricket South Africa. A move that can potentially sabotage the future of SA cricket, South Africa's government has taken control of cricket in the country - which effectively means, according to ICC rules, the country might be banned from playing international cricket until things are cleared.
Article 2.4 (c) and (d) of the ICC Constitution imposes an obligation on Members to provide a process for free and democratic elections and to ensure that there is no government interference in its governance and / or administration for cricket respectively.
Cricbuzz reported that South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) wrote a letter to the CSA in which they demand that "the CSA board and those senior executives who serve ex-officio on the board (the company secretary, the acting CEO, the CFO and the COO) are directed to step aside from the administration of CSA on full pay" till a month-long investigation is conducted by the committee.
"This has manifestly caused great concern and consternation amongst your own members, former and current members of the national team of the Proteas, stakeholders, sponsors, and members of the cricket-loving public. There can be no doubt that this has caused cricket to lose the trust and confidence of members of the public, stakeholders, sponsors and the players represented by SACA [the South African Cricketers' Association]. All this has brought cricket into disrepute,” the letter added.
SASCOC further added in the letter that in the previous meetings with the CSA, they attempted to address these issues but CSA failed to “to make the... forensic report available to the SASCOC board despite promises” to do so.
"SASCOC has attempted to address these issues in two meetings with the CSA board: one was exploratory, and the other failed to take place mainly because of the fact that CSA failed to make the... forensic report available to the SASCOC board despite promises and undertakings by CSA to do so. CSA is in receipt of our letter which records that the board's decision to make the said report available only on a limited basis to the president and board members of SASCOC, is wholly unreasonable and irrational given the apparent nature and scope of the report," the letter added.
Both ICC and CSA are yet to officially respond to the turn of events. Last year, Zimbabwe were banned from international cricket for political interference, due to which the team missed out on qualification for the now-postponed ICC T20 World Cup.