Tour decision tomorrow...
...CSA on tenterhooks as they await Home Affairs on England visit
The department of home affairs will inform Cricket South Africa (CSA) tomorrow whether they will be allowed to host England for a limited-overs tour next month.
CSA have until Tuesday to inform the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about the viability of the tour.
Should the bio-secure tour not take place, it will plunge CSA into financial ruin as the embattled body will stand to lose nearly R50m.
The department of sports, arts and culture passed on CSA’s request to host England on a tour of three ODIs and three T20s to home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi for approval.
ECB deadline
Home affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza said they will respond before the ECB’s deadline.
“The department ... will communicate its decision to CSA on Monday, October 19,” Qoza said.
If the tour doesn’t take place it would be a disaster for CSA, whose AGM is set for December 5.
TimesLive reported last month that CSA will declare a net profit of R50m. At last year’s AGM, CSA declared a R200m loss, but had cash reserves of R850m.
CSA missed out on at least $10m (R165m) because of the cancelled India T20 tour in August due to the Covid-19 regulations.
England isn’t as lucrative as India but are marketable.
They have shown the most willingness to host and travel for cricket.
Home affairs’ recalcitrance on approval of the tour stems from the UK being one of 60
The R49m that we could lose from the tour not taking place encompasses broadcast and sponsorship revenue
countries on home affairs’ high- risk list.
In its September 30 statement home affairs said people from countries with high Covid-19 infection rates have to apply to Motsoaledi and give compelling reasons to visit SA for business purposes. India is also on that list.
England was the first Test-playing nation to complete international and domestic fixtures this year despite being a high-risk Covid-19 country.
England hosted the West Indies, Pakistan and Australia for Tests, ODIs and T20s at biosecure environments in Southampton and Manchester. Both grounds have on-site hotels where the teams stayed.
Newlands and Boland Park
Should the tour be approved, the teams will be housed at the Vineyard Hotel while the matches will take place at Newlands and Boland Park in Paarl.
There will also be the mandatory 10-day quarantine period England will have to undergo upon approval.
CSA’s acting CEO Kugandrie Govender said they can’t afford to have the England tour cancelled.
“The R49m that we could lose from the tour not taking place encompasses broadcast and sponsorship revenue. That amount excludes gate takings as fans won’t be allowed into the stadiums. England is high risk so at this point in time they aren’t able to clear it,” Govender said.
“We have to respect protocol and respect the minister as he is our principal. We’ve shared with government our medical and our bio-secure environment plans. We’ve also taken guidance from the ECB, who successfully hosted internationals during Covid-19. We have to wait and that’s where we are.”
The organisation is currently at war with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) over the forensic report and its administrative upheaval to a point where sports minister Nathi Mthethwa gave them until October 27 to comply or face government intervention.
The impasse between the sports ministry and CSA, which could see Mthethwa impose section 13 of the National Sport and Recreation Act of 1998 if CSA doesn’t comply, could also have dire implications from the perspective of the International Cricket Council.
Article 2.4 (D) of the ICC’s constitution frowns upon government interference.