JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s best male and female cricketers on Tuesday issued a plea to Cricket South Africa’s administrators to make cricket a priority or risk irreparable damage to the sport in this country.
In another clear sign of the chasm that has opened up between the country’s top players and the people who are supposed to run the sport South Africa, 30 players - including women’s national captain Dane van Niekerk and the men’s One-Day International skipper, Quinton de Kock, put their names to a statement, begging for CSA’s administrators to put the interests of the sport first.
“High standards are expected of us as players. To succeed as Proteas teams, we know we have to put aside personal differences and work together. We require the same of our administrators,” the players statement, made through the SA Cricketers Association, read.
“Politics and self-interest appear to trump cricket imperatives and good governance. Decisions must be made that are in the best interests of cricket, failing which the game we love may be irreparably damaged in this country.”
The statement from the players follows weeks of controversy within Cricket South Africa, that has plunged the organisation and the sport into crisis. On Monday, following a meeting with Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa, Cricket SA announced that it would be postponing it’s AGM.
The players expressed their concern for the future of the game in the country. “At Board and Operational level, Cricket South Africa has lurched from crisis to crisis over the past year. Issues such as suspensions, dismissals, resignations, forensic audits, confidential leaks, litigation and financial mismanagement have dominated the cricket headlines.
This is happening at a time when we are having challenging conversations about transformation, and in an environment where the financial viability of the game is under major threat.”
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Cricket SA, in the statement on Monday night announcing the postponement of the AGM, said it would be addressing various “strategic structural matters and remedial actions,” including the “reconfiguration of the organisational structure,” in keeping with recommendations made in the forensic report, that was instituted earlier this year to interrogate charges against Thabang Moroe and the workings of the Board’s overall management.
Monroe was fired by CSA last week for what the organisation described as “acts of serious misconduct.” He is taking CSA to court to fight his dismissal.
“This may be the last chance we have to change direction and save the game. As Proteas we demand that all stakeholders heed our sincere plea,” said the players about the postponement of the AGM.
The statement was signed by:
Aiden Markram, Andile Phehlukwayo, Anrich Nortje, Ayabonga Khaka, Beuran Hendricks, Chloe Tryon, Dané van Niekerk, David Miller, Dean Elgar, Dwaine Pretorius, Faf du Plessis, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Lungi Ngidi, Marizanne Kapp, Masabatha Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nadine de Klerk, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Sune Luus, Tabraiz Shamzi, Temba Bavuma, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune.
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