South African government has suspended the country’s national cricket board, Cricket South Africa (CSA), and has taken over the cricketing activities themselves. This move goes against the rule by International Cricket Council (ICC) over the government’s interference in matters related to international cricket. This could see South Africa being completely kicked out of the game at the international level.

According to a report from Cricbuzz, letters from South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee submitted to the cricketing body demands that ‘the CSA board and those senior executives who serve ex-officio on the board (the company secretary, the acting CEO, the CFO and the COO) are directed to step aside from the administration of CSA on full pay’.

This decision comes after a month-long investigation by a task team into what SASCOC said ‘many instances of maladministration and malpractice that have occurred since at least December 2019’. The final outcome of the investigation is still pending.

‘This has manifestly caused great concern and consternation amongst your own members, former and current members of the national team of the Proteas, stakeholders, sponsors, and members of the cricket-loving public,’ read the letter.

‘There can be no doubt that this has caused cricket to lose the trust and confidence of members of the public, stakeholders, sponsors and the players represented by SACA [the South African Cricketers' Association]. All this has brought cricket into disrepute,’ the letter said.

SASCOC added that they had asked CSA to submit a forensic report but deemed that the cricketing board’s response was completely irrational and unreasonable. ‘SASCOC has attempted to address these issues in two meetings with the CSA board: one was exploratory, and the other failed to take place mainly because of the fact that CSA failed to make the... forensic report available to the SASCOC board despite promises and undertakings by CSA to do so.’ Said SASCOC.

‘CSA is in receipt of our letter which records that the board's decision to make the said report available only on a limited basis to the president and board members of SASCOC, is wholly unreasonable and irrational given the apparent nature and scope of the report.’ SASCOC added.

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) looks after the relationship between the state and sports federations and because of it has the authority to put CSA under administration. The decision was taken at a meeting on Tuesday and was passed by a unanimous vote.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2020 12:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).