In the past three years, the shenanigans in the Cricket South Africa Board (CSA Board of directors) have competed for the limelight with exploits of the Proteas men’s and women’s teams on the field of play. In normal circumstances, this should not be the case. It has been a worrying episode in the post-1994 history of the sporting code.
Now, it is everyone’s hope that the recent appointment of Lawson Naidoo as CSA board chairperson signals a watershed in the administration of cricket. In a speech soon after his appointment, Naidoo, acknowledged that he is at the helm of an entity which is expected to open a new chapter. As someone, who has been on the block for sometime, he is aware of the mammoth task that awaits the board to win the trust of stakeholders and restore its credibility both on and off the field.
In accepting his appointment, Naidoo said: “I thank my fellow board members for the confidence they have shown in electing me as chairperson. Then, he underlined the task that lies ahead: “We are all well aware of the challenges facing us in making CSA a world-class sporting organisation both on and off the field of play.”
Of course one of Naidoo’s main area of focus is decisively getting the project to transform cricket back on track. The general perception in some quarters is that transformation has been pursued rather halfheartedly, as members have vastly differed on the approach. His main mandates will be increasing platforms which can enable more players of colour to participate in the game from the grassroots up to the professional level.
In a statement, the CSA echoed Naidoo, pledging unity in purpose: “As one unified board of CSA, the directors are committed to working together in the best interests of the game and the people of South Africa. The board agreed to focus their first 100 days in office on bringing stability to the organisation and embarking on an engagement programme to gain input from stakeholders as it seeks to align everyone towards a shared vision for the future.”
Pronouncement of commitment to the cause of steering cricket in the right direction may earn the CSA board the benefit of the doubt. However, one thing for sure, Naidoo and the new board of directors know pretty well that they must walk the talk.
Currently, Naidoo is the executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) and a founding partner of the Paternoster Group, a political risk consultancy
