Cape Town - Haroon Lorgat has no desire to be involved in cricket again.
“Right now I don’t feel like I want to be involved again,” he said this week from his home in Cape Town, just a fortnight after his shock departure from Cricket South Africa (CSA).
The former chief executive was released from his post after a breakdown in his relationship with the CSA board.
CSA and Lorgat parted ways with immediate effect, with the cricket body’s vice-president, Thabang Moroe, stepping in as acting chief executive during a search for a Lorgat replacement.
“I have had my chance, both at CSA and the International Cricket Council, and judging from the many good messages I have received in the past few weeks, I’m clear that I leave with many positive contributions,” said Lorgat.
The 57-year-old, who began his tenure as CSA chief executive in 2013, said his only wish was to have exited under better circumstances.
“My final meeting with the board was difficult, professional (but) a cordial engagement. Even though I’ve recently read some poor comments from Moroe, I believe both parties want to maintain a friendly relationship.”
CSA president Chris Nenzani said last week the body had tried to remedy the situation with Lorgat on a few occasions but the efforts were unsuccessful.
While Lorgat looks back fondly on the last four years, he admits his final year with the cricket governing body was turbulent.
“The job was quite demanding, complex, and there was very little time for anything else. While it was enjoyable, the past year has been difficult.”
Lorgat, who was the driving force behind SA’s T20 Global League, expressed his disappointment at not being able to see the project through.
The tournament was set to start next month. However, CSA officials confirmed this week that the tournament had been postponed and would make its debut in November next year.
“I feel very disappointed that I’m now unable to see it through and disappointed it’s been postponed…
“There was a lot of hard work, time away from families and loved ones that went into getting this project off
the ground, and a lot of
people made plenty of sacrifices in trying to put on a great tournament for the cricket-loving South Africans.
“It’s crucial that the league succeeds for the future well-being of South African cricket. It helps that we have great team owners who are still committed to the league.”
There were highs and lows during his tenure.
“The success we achieved in transforming the entire business which includes access, representation, women’s cricket, winning the Under-19 World Cup and developing a host of new international players in the Protea’s set-up stand out for me.
“I’m also very proud of the effort put in to re-engineer the entire CSA business model to make it sustainable. This included training staff to operate at high professional standards. We have been openly recognised as the best national sporting federation.
“On the low side, the disturbing internal challenge I faced with my chief financial officer was crippling and perhaps my ultimate undoing.”
Lorgat was pleased with the strides he made with transformation in cricket.
“I’m satisfied that we remodelled the system to ensure transformation was taking place from the bottom up. That makes transformation real and sustainable.”
Lorgat believed the future of cricket in South Africa remained bright. “All the necessary fundamentals are in place and we have the talent and fan base to succeed.”
While he was unsure of what he planned to do next, his focus now was on enjoying quality time with his family.
“It really has been fantastic being at home with my family. I’ve realised what sacrifices my family have made over the years and it’s now important for me to spend my time with them.”