How the year turned sour for former Cricket SA chief Haroon Lorgat
● Ideally, 2017 should have been a crowning year for former Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
The T20 Global League should have come to a glittering conclusion last week but that didn’t take place
Due to his secretive handling of the organising of the postponed T20GL, Lorgat's exit settlement, part of his package after leaving CSA at the end of September, still hangs in the balance.
The former International Cricket Council CEO left CSA with no option but to move the recently completed Ram Slam T20 Challenge forward into the slot that was originally intended for the T20GL.
At least South Africa’s international players made sure it was a decently attractive spectacle.
After Wednesday’s special board meeting, CSA president Chris Nenzani said the organisation was in a healthy financial position after postponing the T20GL.
Organisation of the tournament had cost CSA vast sums and players drafted to the various franchises had to be paid.
“A complete reconciliation of the total expenditure incurred on the T20GL has been concluded and we can now confirm that all monies have been adequately accounted for and that we have found no irregularities or financial mismanagement,” Nenzani said.
“As a 100% subsidiary of CSA, the board of Cricket South Africa accepts responsibility for losses incurred and the general disappointment of the tournament being postponed.”
A press release on Thursday said nothing about an inquiry into Lorgat and organisation of the tournament. But it is understood that his settlement was linked to how much information he gives with regard to the tournament’s failed organisation.
Clearly there’s someone who won’t get a Christmas bonus and it’s not CSA board members.
There are lessons to be taken from this episode, with one being transparency in corporate matters. It would be easy to say CSA simply forgot about the “Majolagate” bonus scandal affair which brought to light administrative and corporate flaws.
Lorgat should have made every attempt to keep his board up to date with the organisation of the tournament and, in turn, the board should have held him accountable at every turn before the ugly events played out at the end of September.
As it turned out, the players in the local T20 tournament saved face in the end and the T20GL is nothing more than a fleeting memory of what should have been.