TOO MUCH SPIN ON T20?
It’s meant to be the answer to all Cricket SA’S money problems — but even before the new T20 Global League begins, there are some disturbing parallels with the Indian Premier League
Cricket SA (CSA) is plunging into a crisis that threatens to eclipse the 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL) bonus-scandal in depth and magnitude. The cause of the crisis is the T20 Global League, CSA’S first foray into an international T20 tournament. It is designed to rival the
IPL and Australia’s lucrative Big Bash.
It’s a tale of intrigue which speaks to the battle to grab a slice of what little money there is in SA sport, as well as the lack of transparency in our sporting codes.
It came to a head two weeks ago, at a heated CSA board meeting.
Board members accused CEO Haroon Lorgat of secrecy, high-handedness, profligate spending on first-class travel and lack of transparency in relation to the hyped tournament — the first edition of which is due to run for six weeks from November.
It’s an ominous start for a tournament meant to be a money-spinner.
In June, the new league had a jamboree opening at London’s upmarket Bulgari hotel in Knightsbridge to reveal the new owners of the eight teams — which include Indian, Pakistani and Dubai-based businessmen.
But contrary to what was said, not all of the eight contracts have been signed, and not all the deposits have been lodged.
All the Proteas will be available for one of eight local T20 Global franchises. However, international scheduling suggests the Proteas won’t be available for all future editions of the tournament — a fact not widely known by the new team owners.
It’s left a sour taste in the mouths of local franchise executives, whose eight stadiums provide the tournament venues. They remain distinctly uneasy about the lack of transparency, the opaque business model, as well as widespread conflict of interest.
Says one: “If there’s nothing to hide, why all this cloak and dagger stuff? I don’t know anything about my majority shareholder, who they are or where the money is coming from. My questions don’t get answered adequately. Most of us smell a rat.”
There is particular concern with the franchises based in Durban, Centurion and Port Elizabeth. This week, a fourth franchise owner, the Jse-listed Brimstone, announced as the owner of the Stellenbosch/paarl franchise, quietly walked away.
This means there are now no local owners — fuelling fears that this appears to be a tournament designed for the enrichment of a global cricket and business elite of which Lorgat, as former CEO of the Dubai-based International Cricket Council (ICC), is part.
At that board meeting two weeks ago, the faction opposing Lorgat asked him to resign. Three days later, a hastily arranged board teleconference led to a truce between Lorgat and those directors. Lorgat, sources say, said he needed time to consider his options.
It underscores the toxic atmosphere at CSA. Chief financial officer Naasei Appiah and Lorgat have such a strained relationship they don’t talk. Appiah has been cut out of much of the financial nuts and bolts of the T20 Global League. It is understood he has filed grievance procedures against his boss.
Labour lawyer Charles Nupen has been asked to mediate, but insiders say Lorgat isn’t co-operating with him.
When approached, Appiah refused to discuss the dispute, citing CSA media protocol. However, sources said Lorgat has instituted lie-detector tests for senior staff members in the wake of the troubled working relationship with Appiah.
It all suggests morale is at rock bottom, even as CSA is moving into opulent new headquarters on Glenhove Avenue in Johannesburg from September 1. Yet pay increases have been frozen and there has been recent talk of industrial action.
The atmosphere of paranoia doesn’t stop at CSA’S doors. Local franchise chief owners are being forced to sign nondisclosure agreements about the T20 Global League, which effectively amount to gagging orders.
When approached, CSA refused to comment. “CSA does not intend to respond to queries based on information sourced from faceless individuals. If and when CSA has legitimate information to communicate to the public, we will do so through normal means and channels.”
At its core, the crisis is about CSA’S sale of the T20 Global League’s broadcast rights and the money it’s likely to make. Ordinarily, these rights would have been taken to market on behalf of CSA by the International Management Group (IMG), but in late 2015 CSA opened preliminary talks with Lagardère, a rival company.
There was nothing wrong with IMG being sidelined. It remains CSA’S agent in all other respects, though industry observers say IMG took the IPL broadcast rights to market and is well-acquainted with rights evaluation, Annual cost: Buyer of the rights: Duration: 2015-2021 Annual cost: Buyer of the rights: Duration: 2016-2019 Annual cost: Buyer of the rights: Duration: 2016-2024 Annual cost: Buyer of the rights: Duration: 2014-2021
Annual cost: Buyer of the rights:
What it means: T20 Global League shows up lack of transparency, battle for money coming into SA sport
Duration: 2009-2017