There is no end in sight of turmoil in South African cricket Cricket South Africa is staring at losing the status of governing body of the game in the country after failing to agree on a Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI).
The move to not accept the MOI in principle could bring a long-threatened intervention from the government and sports minister Nathi Mthethwa under the National Sports and Recreation Act. According to an ESPNcricnfo report, the act gives the sports minister power to withdraw funding and recognition from CSA as the governing body of cricket.
Earlier this year, the government had imposed an interim board on CSA and established communication with the member council of CSA to implement the MOI that would have brought a majority independent board. Reportedly, the member council had stated that they had reached an agreement with the interim board on the issue of the MOI and the majority independent board on April 10.
However, on Saturday, April 17 when the member council of CSA were to vote on the matters, only six of the 14 members voted in favour of the MOI and the majority independent board while five members voted against such move and three members abstaining.
Minister Mthethwa though has not made clear his intentions on the process the government will follow.
Notably, if the sports minister supersedes the CSA as the governing body, it will face sanction from the International Cricket Council and South Africa will be banned from international cricket.
However, the sports minister had written to ICC explaining the need to intervene and seek exemption from the game’s global governing body.