Cricket SA in shameful accreditation about-face

Cricket South Africa (CSA) had five of the country’s most experienced cricket journalists stewing for most of yesterday when they revoked their accreditation, only to reinstate it late in the afternoon after both Mzansi Super League games had started.

Stuart Hess, the chief cricket writer for The Star, was the first to discover he had been banned when he arrived at the Wanderers for the match between the Jozi

Stars and the Paarl Rocks, but was denied access.

Firdose Moonda of CricInfo and Telford Vice of Times Media were also denied access to Newlands for the game between the Cape Town Blitz and Tshwane Spartans.

The journalists were prevented from doing their jobs based on an e-mail that was sent to the franchises listing five scribes whose accreditation had been revoked.

Ken Borland, The Citizen cricket writer currently on assignment at Leopard Creek covering the Alfred

Dunhill Championship golf tournament, and Neil Manthorp, the internationally-renown freelance broadcaster and writer, were the other pressmen who had been banned.

No reasons were given for CSA’s drastic action, with a spokesperson telling The Citizen shortly after 3pm that “We will be issuing a statement on this issue”.

CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe, speaking on eNCA, was quick to blame the journalists for “unprofessional” behaviour. In Hess’ case, he specified that he had been sanctioned because he did not seek CSA comment for his articles.

Hess expressed his frustration in a story last week of how a CSA spokesman had refused to provide proper answers to his questions concerning the national team and who exactly will be selecting it given the imminent arrival of England.

Later on Sunday afternoon, the five journalists received e-mails saying their applications for accreditation had been approved.