SA softens stand on cricket restructuring

CRICKET SA (CSA) is considering backtracking from its strongly stated opposition to a proposal to restructure the world game in return for a repaired relationship with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The price of the climb down would be CSA’s vote in favour of the proposal, which the International Cricket Council (ICC) board is set to decide on at the weekend. If approved, the new deal will put much of the control and profits of international cricket in the hands of India, England and Australia.

Those countries need the support of eight of the ICC’s 10 full member countries to push the measures through. CSA would be the eighth board to vote aye.

On January 21, CSA said they wanted the proposal withdrawn. Their president, Chris Nenzani, damned it as “fundamentally flawed as regards the process and, therefore, in breach of the ICC constitu- tion” in a letter to ICC president Alan Isaac. Discussions about the document and horse-trading between boards dominated the ICC’s meeting in Dubai last week. Led by CSA, four boards ranged themselves against the plan. Currently, three remain opposed publicly.

On Saturday, CSA convened a joint session of their board and member forum to discuss their position ahead of this week’s ICC meeting. A cryptic statement issued afterwards suggested CSA were shift- ing their stance. “. . . we have reached a position where we will need to engage further with the ICC leadership before we can reach a consensus position ahead of next Saturday’s ICC board meeting,” Nenzani was quoted as saying.

“I am confident that we can reach agreement based on the principles that we strongly adhere to.”

That is already a long way from CSA’s original position.

The BCCI, consummate wheeler dealers that they are, are apparently massaging CSA where they are confident of getting the result they want: in the pocket.

According to a source who declined to be named, “There is an offer on the table” that the BCCI will commit themselves to touring SA in return for CSA’s support for the proposal. India would also “forgive and forget” their issues with CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

A second source concurred with those assertions. CSA ignored requests for comment.