Sponsors Momentum on Tuesday announced it would not be renewing its sponsorship of one-day cricket when its current deal with the Cricket SA expires next April.
CRICKET South Africa and Sascoc are trying to work together to devise solutions that will please both parties as crisis continues to grip local cricket’s mother body.
While CSA claimed in a Tuesday morning statement that Monday night’s meeting between the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee’s Board and CSA’s Members Council was “positive”, there remain differences that need to be ironed out. One of those is the forensic report, which Sascoc still expects to see in full without signing a non-disclosure agreement.
The other is who will pay for Sascoc’s task team, that it wants to establish to investigate Cricket SA. Sascoc, through acting chief executive, Ravi Govender said last week that the Olympic body can’t pay for the task team – which he explained would be made up of at most four people and will take a month to complete its work – because it is “cash-strapped.”.
“We have to fund this from somewhere. The task team is intended to benefit cricket,” said Govender. Sascoc wants CSA to fund the investigation.
At last weekend’s workshop, where the Members Council – CSA’s highest decision-making body, comprising the provincial union presidents – were shown a summary of the forensic report, Sascoc’s resolution that the Board of Directors and some senior management be suspended, was also rejected. As was Sascoc’s demand that CSA foot the bill for the task team and its investigation. Both decisions were based on legal advice.
The weekend workshop also resolved that the summary of the report be made available to the provincial affiliates through the respective CEOs. This was to be done, according to one insider, to “ take away the public perception that the report is being hidden to South Africa at large and affiliates”. However by yesterday afternoon three major provincial affiliates had not received the summary. It is expected that it should be made available by the end of the week.
CSA’s Members Council will meet with Sascoc again on Thursday, where the two organisations hope to achieve some sort of finality around the issues dividing them. “At Monday’s meeting we discussed certain modalities around our proposals … we want to put one or two things into place for the purposes of completing those modalities,” Ravi Gonder said on Tuesday.
“Our position has not changed, but obviously we need to collaborate with Cricket SA.”
Govender couldn’t say if Sacoc would acquiesce to CSA’s demands about its Board and senior management including company secretary Welsh Gwaza and acting CEO Kugandrie Govender “stepping aside” while the task team did its work.
“It’s a little complex to explain, for the simple reason that over the next 48 hours we have to deal with certain issues we’ve agreed on for purposes of presenting formally our position on Thursday.”
“We have to put in place certain things that we’ve agreed on in order to bring us closer. It would be misconceived if I was to say what those are, until those happen.”
Govender was clear that Sascoc would be given access to the forensic report. “We are going to get the forensic report. We have requested the forensic report and we will be receiving it.”
“We are not going to be signing any NDA,” he added.
* Momentum on Tuesday announced it would not be renewing its sponsorship of one-day cricket when its current deal with the Cricket SA expires next April.
Last week the financial services company expressed its dismay with current governance problems at CSA, a point it reiterated on Tuesday.
“We will continue our dialogue with CSA to keep them accountable to do the right thing. We all want to see a governing body that is run professionally and ethically, and one that considers all stakeholders to the game. We wish CSA well as they move forward,” said Carel Bosman, Momentum’s head of sponsorships.
Crucially, Momentum will continue to support the national women’s team. The naming rights contract currently in place expires in 2023. The company has played a critical role in the growth of the women’s game in South Africa. Their initial support in 2013 allowed CSA to provide professional contracts to women’s players.
The South African women’s team is set to play in the 50-over World Cup next year and then the T20 World Cup in this country in 2022,
“We have been extraordinarily proud of our role in supporting the advancement of the women’s team and remain committed to that sponsorship agreement. Our continued support of the Momentum Proteas is in line with our brand narrative and we will continue to shine a light on their talent, build their commercial value and enable them on their journey to success,” Bosman added.
