CSA ‘needs to get house in order’ or another major sponsor will walk away

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has been given until the end of the current season to get its house in order or risk losing another major sponsor.

Momentum, the embattled federation’s sponsor for all one-day matches, the club championship and various school weeks, on Thursday decided not to go the route of Standard Bank in ending its current agreement, instead listing a list of demands for any future renegotiation.

“In light of recent revelations and reports of lack of good governance at Cricket South Africa (CSA), Momentum places its concern on record. The negative impact of CSA’s actions is neither good for cricket nor for instilling national pride,” the organisation said in a statement.

ALSO READ: CSA board’s cop-out won’t fool the players, says union0

Unsurprisingly, Momentum’s biggest gripe remains the continued presence of CSA’s board, which has rather unashamedly tried to absolve itself fully from the current crisis by pinning all the blame on suspended CEO Thabang Moroe.

However, it also provides the provision for merely Chris Nenzani, the president, and his deputy, Beresford Williams, resigning to “address the leadership crisis at CSA”.

Momentum also supports the forensic investigation into the financial state of the governing body, want the immediate appointment of a lead independent director and demands better relations between CSA and the South African Cricketers Association.

“We’ve had various conversations with cricket leadership, including the acting CEO, Jacques Faul, as well as commerical head Kugandrie Govender. We have outlined very specific governance and reputational requirements that CSA has to deliver on in order to restore confidence in the administrating body of South African cricket. We will be holding the CSA board accountable to get its house in order. Failing such remedy, Momentum will have to reconsider its sponsorship agreement at the end of the current season,” said Carel Bosman, head of sponsorships at the company.

“We have always viewed our sponsorship as a partnership in support of the game. We feel confident that CSA understands our views and we are keen to support them through the highs and lows on their journey to success. This process is not going to be easy and we expect a fair bit of pain as the independent audit and resulting corrective actions unfold. We believe CSA will act decisively and with transparency so that cricket in South Africa can move forward.”

For more sport your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.