South Africa’s cricket captains appeal to stakeholders

The South African cricket captains for men and women on Monday criticized the decision of the Sports Council to reject a new governance structure.

The men’s test skipper, Dean Elgar, the captain Temba Bavuma and the women’s captain, Dane van Niekerk, said the threatened government intervention in the difficult sport would have “dire consequences, the extent of which we do not yet know.

“The right to represent South Africa can be withdrawn and the International Cricket Council can suspend Cricket South Africa.

“These results will, in turn, have an impact on touring, broadcast rights and sponsorship deals.

“Ultimately, the financial viability of the game will suffer and cricket at all levels will be severely affected,” added the trio in a statement from the South African Cricketers’ Association.

They responded to an announcement by Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa that he had no choice but to intervene directly in the administration of the sport.

Mthethwa’s move came after the Members’ Council of Cricket South Africa, made up of the 14 presidents of the provincial cricket unions, failed to ratify an agreement on Saturday that would effectively cede control to a board made up of a majority of independent directors .

The players said the presidents’ actions were malicious.

They said they wanted to speak to sponsors directly.

“We apologize for the actions of our administrators who undermined and betrayed your commitment to the sport.”

They also appealed to the cricket public, “the main stakeholder in the game”, to continue to support the game and to ask everyone involved to resolve the current administrative impasse.

The weekend special meeting was intended to support a new structure and pave the way for an annual general meeting originally planned for October last year. But only six of the presidents voted in favor, falling far short of the required majority of 75 percent.

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