Nenzani has yet to utter a single word about the ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, the most serious existential crisis cricket faces worldwide. So what prompted his venture into the fray on Thursday?
TELFORD VICE | Cape Town
CHRIS Nenzani seems to have been in self-isolation since long before lockdown, but Graeme Smith has managed to flush him out. On Thursday morning Smith said, boldly, unambiguously and without prompting, that he was in favour of Sourav Ganguly leading the ICC. Hours later a Cricket South Africa (CSA) release, quoting Nenzani, tried to put the toothpaste back into the tube.
“We must respect both the ICC protocol and our own protocol in deciding which candidate to back,” Nenzani, CSA’s president and board chairperson, was quoted as saying. “There have been no candidates nominated as yet and once such nominations have been made the board of CSA will take its decision in terms of its own protocol and give the chairman the mandate to exercise his vote as an ICC board director accordingly.
“We have the highest regard for the opinions of our director of cricket, Graeme Smith, who is a well-respected figure in world cricket and has already made an immense contribution in fulfilling his mandate to make our cricket teams world leaders again.
“At the moment we don’t want to anticipate any candidates who may be nominated for this important position to lead the game we all love.”
That marked only the third time this year Nenzani had engaged with the cricketminded public. He popped up again on Saturday to welcome John Mogodi to CSA’s board. Nenzani has yet to utter a single word about the ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, the most serious existential crisis cricket faces worldwide. So what prompted his venture into the fray on Thursday?
Procedurally and factually, Nenzani is correct. It is not up to Smith to decide who CSA will support for the position of ICC chairperson, and no-one — Ganguly included — has yet put their head above the parapet to declare their interest in succeeding Shashank Manohar at the ICC’s annual conference in July. Not that Smith was trying to speak on behalf of anyone except himself when he punted Ganguly for, as he said, “president”. But those who have worked with Nenzani note that he engineers what he wants partly by listing the chapter and verse of the relevant rules and regulations.
And what Nenzani wants now, sources have told Cricbuzz, is to be ICC chairperson. That was a major part of the argument in favour of granting him an unprecedented additional year as CSA president even though he had reached his term limit. The constitution was changed to keep him in office until September this year.
Why would Nenzani want to head the ICC? Here are a few reasons, as per the organisation’s constitution: the buck stops with the chairperson to “supervise the chief executive’s performance, implementation of the ICC’s strategic plan and key initiatives and remuneration”, and to “represent the interests of the ICC publicly and establish strong relationships with members”. Then there’s this: “The chairperson acting alone shall have the power to bind the ICC in respect of matters that are properly within the purpose and objects of the ICC”. And this: “ … the chairperson shall have authority to execute any agreement under which the chief executive is appointed”. How about this: “The chairperson shall have the right to attend as an ex officio member of, but not to vote at, any meeting of any committee or sub-committee”. Not forgetting: “Meetings shall take place at such venue as shall be designated by the chairperson”. None among the chair, the chief executive nor the independent director have a vote at annual meetings, special meetings or associate members’ meetings. But: “If any dispute arises concerning the interpretation of the memorandum of association or the articles of association, or the effect of any resolution of the board of directors or members’ resolution or associate members’ resolution that has been passed, the chairperson shall decide such dispute”, although the chair’s decision can be appealled.
Nenzani’s tenure as CSA president has dragged on for more than seven years; time enough, and then some, to grow attached to the plush privileges of power and position. CSA should be rid of him after their annual meeting, which is currently scheduled for September 5. As things stand he cannot be re-elected, although the uncertainties thrown up by Covid-19 may be used as cover to buy him still more time in office. Whatever happens, as a current or former ICC board member he will remain eligible for the leadership.
But Nenzani’s bid would be the longest of long shots. As recently as three weeks ago outgoing England Cricket Board chair Colin Graves was on course to succeed Manohar, who has indicated he will not serve a third two-year term. Graves was said to have secured all but one of the eight votes he would need to be elected. But one of his supporters was, apparently, India. If Ganguly does enter the race he will do so with the BCCI’s blessing, and no doubt gain several of Graves’ current backers into the bargain. Given the stature of Graves and Ganguly, and the heft of the boards they represent, it’s difficult to see how a lightweight like Nenzani would earn the two nominations he would need to contest the election.
Ganguly’s chances would be enhanced by the virus, which has concentrated the global cricket industry’s collective mind on survival. India are key to the game’s financial fortunes. Without them world cricket and the world’s leading cricketers would make far less money. So the idea of giving the Indians what they want in the cause of the greater good is gaining traction. “We need to bring the BCCI more into the ICC, because currently they work against the ICC a lot of the time,” a seasoned administrator told Cricbuzz. All talk of bullying, brattish India who want their own way on every issue — a staple topic in any conversation with non-Indian suits — has disappeared. Cricket knows it needs India now more than ever.
That view isn’t difficult to find among CSA’s high level operational staff. Smith’s comments on Thursday, although they came as a surprise to some of his colleagues, were another way of expressing the prevailing feeling at South Africa’s headquarters — where hopes are fervent that India will tour in the coming months to play three T20Is that would pump USD10-million, or almost a fifth of CSA’s growing debts, into the coffers. Smith was promptly supported by acting chief executive Jacques Faul, who in the same breath managed, skillfully, to make clear that CSA had yet to endorse anyone for a role no-one has so far been nominated to take on.
That neither of CSA’s top operational executives thought to include Nenzani, their own president, in that conversation says plenty. As does the fact that Nenzani couldn’t bring himself to mention India or utter Ganguly’s name in essentially and needlessly repeating what Faul had said hours earlier. Considering the state of the relationship between CSA and the BCCI, which is stronger than it was five years ago but not as close as it was five years before that, nothing speaks louder than the awkward truth that the BCCI president is more popular within CSA than his CSA counterpart. But it’s not surprising, given who and what we’re dealing with. Nenzani or Ganguly? No contest.
First published by Cricbuzz.
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