There is, Cricbuzz has learnt, a push among the presidents of CSA’s 15 provincial affiliates for fewer independent directors to sit on the organisation’s board. The current constitution says the board should be composed of eight independent and five non-independent members, and that the chair should be an independent.
“Because they’ve lost control and they don’t like it,” an insider with first-hand knowledge of the situation told Cricbuzz on condition of anonymity. “They’re not even part of the SA20, which is uber successful. [Two of] their provinces have been put under administration. They’ve become irrelevant, and they can’t handle that. They believe by getting power back they’ll become relevant.But the reality is they will kill the game.”
“I’m torn [between a majority of independent or non-independent directors],” Glennistor said. “If we look at other federations in our country, like rugby and soccer, one is very good and one is very bad. But both of them are controlled by non-independent directors. So it really depends on who’s on the board.”
Below international level cricket is poorer than football. Of the 15 provincial affiliates only Northerns, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal — who field the Titans, the Lions and the Dolphins — are on a firm financial footing. The other dozen provinces, including the sides based at iconic grounds like Newlands and St George’s Park, are on life support provided by CSA.
Which is why, the provincial presidents say, they want a greater say in how the game is run. Yet they are responsible for the mess cricket is in in most of the provinces. More of them on CSA’s board would mean, to many inside and outside cricket, more mess.
CSA’s board was wholly non-independent until February 2013, when five independents joined as many provincial presidents. That happened in the wake of a scandal over improperly declared bonuses equivalent to USD555,000 paid to CSA by the IPL in recognition of South Africa’s successful hosting, at short notice, of the 2009 edition of the Indian tournament.
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