Cricket SA responds to World Cup failure

● Cricket SA president Chris Nenzani said there was nothing underhand with regard to him serving an extra year as president.

Nenzani, who has been in charge since 2013, is the organisation’s longest-serving president and his second three-year term was supposed to come to an end at yesterday’s annual meeting.

Nenzani serves on the International Cricket Council’s finance and commerce and nominations committees.

“There’s been a high turnover of directors on the board since last year and in 2013 half of the board had to go.

“We’re coming back from the Cricket World Cup, where we failed and we are now changing the system and introducing a different structure.

“We’ve also given a lot of responsibility to the executive management through the CEO’s office. These aren’t small changes,” Nenzani said.

“They require stable leadership, not to say there’s no one who can provide that. I’m part of the collective that will provide sensible leadership. If there’s no stability, these changes won’t be successful.”

In his statement, Nenzani also said the move to give the organisation’s CEO Thabang Moroe more responsibility had nothing to do with consolidation of power.

Moroe is tasked with the appointment of the director of cricket, who will be in charge of player-related affairs and will be reporting to him.

“The board has given the executive management, through the CEO, more responsibilities, not power.

“There’s a difference between power and responsibility. With responsibility comes accountability, but power can be exercised arbitrarily with scant regard for accountability,” Nenzani said.

“The kind of responsibility given to the CEO and his management comes with a high level of accountability. He remains accountable to the board and we will not fail in our responsibility to hold him accountable. This level of responsibility is founded on a very simple maxim: To whom much is given, much is expected.”

From a financial perspective, CSA reported a loss of R200m in the 2018/2019 financial year. It’s in line with their four-year cycle projections where they make profits from money-spinning tours like India, England and Australia and budget for losses with other inbound tours.

We will not fail in our responsibility to hold him accountable

Chris Nenzani

Cricket SA president