/ 2 August 2013

Lorgat’s appointment triggers fears and hopes

Lorgat's Appointment Triggers Fears And Hopes

If Indian cricket wasn't so embroiled in a typically nasty bout of political infighting, South Africa would have good reason to feel extremely concerned about the status and health of India's end-of-year tour here.

The all-powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India president, N Srinivasan, has stepped aside temporarily, and voluntarily, while accusations of match-fixing in the Indian Premier League and his own franchise, Chennai Superkings, are investigated.

Unfortunately, his hopes of a speedy return to office were hampered this week when the Mumbai High Court ruled that his hastily con­vened, and even more hastily concluded, internal inquiry was unlawful.

Indian cricket has a colourful history of appointing committees to investigate problematic issues but their terms of reference are often so constrained that they render them useless, which may or may not have been Srinivasan's intention.

Nonetheless, there appears to be sufficient consensus among the Indian administrators to decree that South Africa should be "punished" for appointing Haroon Lorgat as Cricket South Africa's (CSA's) chief executive because he ruffled some feathers when he headed the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Carefully "placed" rumours in Mumbai this week suggested the entire three-match Test series may be cancelled but that was almost certainly scaremongering. More likely is a reduction to two Tests – the minimum requirement of the ICC's future tours programme.

That would probably mean the Wanderers losing its Test, with India agreeing to play the lucrative festive-season Boxing Day and New Year fixtures at Kingsmead and Newlands.

Failing that, a drastic reduction in the even more lucrative but painfully protracted seven-match one-day international series and the T20s, which were originally scheduled, seems likely.

Lorgat, understandably, did not want to comment this week, with negotiations reaching peak sensitivity.

But there is more than enough to concern him. The four-year renegotiation of the memorandum of understanding between Cricket South Africa and the players' body, the South African Cricketers' Association (Saca), will be upon him soon after he has arranged his desk at headquarters.

Lorgat has a record of supporting players' rights but also of not acceding easily: "I accept the need for players to be represented and appreciate that we need to work towards sustaining a solid relationship between players and administrators. Like in marriage, we will not always agree on every single issue but that should not be the reason for us to become irresponsible in our relationship," he said.

Saca chief executive Tony Irish said he was "looking forward to working with Haroon … who has shown he has the best interests of cricket at heart".

Another issue that caused considerable anxiety last season was the lack of live Test cricket on free-to-air television following the SABC's decision to broadcast only highlights of the two series against New Zealand and Pakistan.

Lorgat, having championed the global expansion of the game during his tenure at the ICC, now faces a similar challenge at home.

"The reach that free-to-air television provides is important in popularising the game but one needs to carefully consider the implications of the trade-off price. The revenue generated from exploiting broadcast rights also plays a huge role in sustaining and developing the game. Inevitably this is an issue that requires careful analysis and thought," Lorgat said.

That's consummate diplomatic speech for: "It's yet another issue of huge importance that I'm going to have to tackle – and don't know how to, yet."

Lorgat's reputation as a champion of expansion – he initiated the ICC's targeted-assistance programme for smaller nations – has also raised hopes in Zimbabwe that South Africa might, finally, help with their stuttering progress towards sustained ­competitiveness and stability.

Three years ago, then CSA chief executive Gerald Majola agreed that a short, annual ODI and/or a T20 series between the two neighbours would be beneficial – financially for Zimbabwe, philanthropically and technically for "big brother". The arrangement, and promise, was made in front of delegations from both sides.

"I have not yet understood this issue but, if there is any workable opportunity to support Zimbabwe cricket, I would be willing to explore it," Lorgat said.

That would come as a massive relief to Zimbabwe cricket, which is still struggling to survive, let alone prosper or grow.

The Proteas' struggles in Sri Lanka have been a source of misery for all supporters but the landscape is not nearly as bleak as many might imagine. The South African "A" team has dominated their Australian counterparts in two four-day matches and the country's reserve strength is still the envy of most other nations.

The incumbent ODI players are either wrongly appointed or not good enough. There is time to find the answer before the next World Cup. Panicking will solve nothing. Patience can be painful.