SA cricket’s sad state of affairs

For far too long now, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has been in a mess.

The sport’s governing body continues to stumble from one crisis to another, and despite numerous attempts to correct the path of those entrusted to look after the game in the country over the past few years, nothing much has changed.

While we will never be in favour of the government getting involved in sport, the current impasse has given Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa no option but to get his hands dirty after the CSA Members Council failed to ratify the amendments to CSA’s memorandum of incorporation at a last-minute Special General Meeting on Saturday.

Initially, the 14 presidents had agreed to vote in the memorandum needed to change structures within the CSA, but the group failed to reach the majority vote of 75% to move forward.

Mthethwa, clearly disappointed, is this week expected to ban CSA from being the authority that runs the sport in country, forcing him to “exercise his rights in terms of section 13(5) of the Sports Act”, which allows the minister to remove recognition of the federation as the authority of the sport.

Government will also no longer provide funding for the organisation. The funding may be minimal, but the decision will no doubt have a negative effect on sponsors involved in cricket.

The boardroom shenanigans have spilled onto the field for our national men’s team. The latest setback was a 3-1 T20 international series defeat at the hands of Pakistan in our backyard.

It followed hot on the heels of the Proteas 2-1 one-day-international series defeat to the same opponents earlier this month.

While the Proteas were starved of some of their star players, who are in action in the Indian Premier
League, ill-discipline, injuries and some strange selection decisions have exposed the depth of our structure.

With the T20 World Cup just six months away, the Proteas have a mountain to climb if they are to turn their fortunes around.

It is high time cricket is fixed – both on and off the field.

Currently, it’s just not cricket.