There will be no international cricket at the Wanderers Stadium under the auspices of Cricket South Africa (CSA) until the Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB) apologises to CSA for "insulting" remarks made in a letter to CSA.
CSA President Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka reiterated CSA's stand on Thursday, when he spoke to journalists after the launch of ticket sales for the ICC Champions Trophy in September and October.
Nyoka declined to comment on the current situation in the impasse between the two bodies, saying the matter was now in the hands of CSA's lawyers.
"The road of conflict is a dead end," he said. "There is no benefit to anyone in a squabble between CSA and GCB."
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'The road of conflict is a dead end' Nyoka said he had had a meeting with GCB chairman Barry Skjoldhammer about four weeks ago, in which he appealed to him to "walk across the road and speak to CSA chief executive Gerald Majola.
"The next day, we received two inflammatory documents from GCB. They used insulting language, and made allegations of misconduct. Until GCB apologises, there will be no international cricket at the Wanderers."
Nyoka said the semi-final and the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Wanderers had nearly not happened, because the GCB had sought court interdicts in a dispute with the IPL over parking allocations.
"This is unacceptable conduct, which embarrasses not only cricket in South Africa, but the country as a whole."
He defended the decision to use Supersport Park in Centurion as South Africa's base in the Champions Trophy, as well as the decision to play the final in Centurion.
"Supersport Park is a world-class venue, and the people of Pretoria also deserve a semi-final and a final for a change.
"We have been patient with Gauteng cricket for far too long," he said. "We are part of a broader public, and the days of Gauteng and the Wanderers having a monopoly are over. Our priorities are bigger than the GCB.
"There are fans all over the country, and we are trying to serve everybody."
Asked to comment on CSA's decision to move three matches from the England tour of South Africa to other venues, the ICC's general manager of cricket, Dave Richardson, said the ICC did not get involved in the scheduling of matches on a tour.
"All we ask is that the venue should be of a suitable standard, and all the venues in South Africa are world-class," said Richardson. - Sapa
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