The Interim Board that was appointed to clean the administrative problems in the Cricket South Africa (CSA) setup gets a month’s extension until mid-February. The announcement was made by South Africa’s Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa on January 21.
Sports Minister Mthethwa personally appointed a nine-member board to rectify the issues within CSA on October 30, 2020. The new committee got the green signal by Members’ Council on 17 November 2020. Initially, the Interim Board was put for a three-month period, ending in January 2021. However, the extension suggests that interim board has a lot of work to do.
In a statement to media, Mthethwa said, “By all accounts and after some initial turbulence, the work of the Interim Board has gained favor amongst our country’s cricket lovers. Accordingly, I am confident that this extension will enable the Interim Board to produce a constructive and actionable report that contains the reforms required to help South African cricket realize their indubitable talent.”
The statement also insisted taht the board is confident with the Interim Board’s extension but the Sports Minister will also consider a further extension, if necessary.
MEDIA STATEMENT: Minister @NathiMthethwaSA on the extension of @OfficialCSA Interim Board. pic.twitter.com/tKCWaMKjm6
— Masechaba Khumalo 🇿🇦🏳️🌈 (@MKhumalo___) January 21, 2021
The chaos in Cricket South Africa seems unending. Last month, the board suspended acting Chief Executive Officer Kugandrie Govender on allegations of misconduct. CSA has found itself in a mess during the last 18 months. The immediate concern for the board will be the upcoming home series against Australia.
The limited overs series against England was abruptly cancelled after cases of coronavirus in both camps. CSA will have to take special care of protocols to make sure that the series against Australia goes ahead and helps the board to get some sort of revenue. The South African cricket team is currently in Pakistan after long time to play both white and red ball series.