CSA selection sore scab could be scratched

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Cape Town

CRICKET SA (CSA) could be forced at a Parliamentary briefing on Tuesday to scratch the scab off the selection scandal sore that overshadowed SA’s exit from the World Cup.

The Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation (PCSR) will, a government release said on Monday, “be briefed by CSA on transformation, financial performance, governance and development programmes”.

What with CSA in a sound enough financial state, their governance structures in acceptable order and a sweeping new development plan recently unveiled, they should not have much trouble satisfying the suits on those scores.

But politicians in search of a grandstand could latch onto what Times Media has learnt from several sources was a directive from CSA’s board that the team originally selected for the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Auckland on March 24 should be changed to include an additional player of colour. The team was adapted accordingly, sources say.

After an internal investigation last month CSA admitted their chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, had been “consulted” on team selection. A day later the Democratic Alliance said it had asked the PCSR asking it to investigate the scandal.

“External interference in technical matters of sports team is a serious violation of local and international sports practices,” the party’s spokesperson on sport, Solly Malatsi, said at the time and insisted that, “allegations of political interference of this magnitude should be investigated by Parliament”.

Civil rights group AfriForum said they would lay a complaint against CSA with the International Cricket Council.

Asked to give a broad outline of what they would present to the PCSR on Tuesday CSA said they had “nothing to add” to Monday’s release.