Ravi “The Heavy Roller” Reddy reflects on what was an all-important day for cricket in South Africa.
The weather in Johannesburg was the background of something sinister, nothing short of dark and gloomy on the top of mount Olympus.
All the more reason for why the press conference should have taken place in the sublime mother city, Cape Town. However, “straight out of left field” came a somewhat unanticipated announcement.
It was kind of like watching a regularly bullied kid taking a swing at the biggest bully in the schoolyard. Do you remember this one? It’s the one where the kid still got pummeled by the bully but all the school kids spoke about was the enigmatic right swing provided by the bully’s inferior opponent.
Thank you Cricket South Africa for throwing a crucial punch. The punch is, of course, symbolic of the suspension of one Thabang Moroe.
Moroe has now joined the annals of many super-villains such as the 2014 Ashes stalwart Angry Mitchell Johnson (equipped with a Hulk Hogan-like moustache), Venomous Kyle Mills (verbally attacking future Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis at the 2011 CWC) and Shredder (because he scared me quite bit as a kid).
Yes, Cricket South Africa had a sordid state of affairs, however as indicated in my previous post, there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. The Cricket South Africa board suspended Moroe on December 6th citing allegations of misconduct. Furthermore, Moroe was a significant reason as to why Smith withdrew from the process 3 weeks ago.
Dr Jacques Faul officially enters the gauntlet serving as CEO of Cricket South Africa in an acting capacity.
Faul has a vast cricketing career spanning over 16 years. Dr Faul is currently the CEO of the Titans and the Northerns cricket union, holding similar roles in the North West and Gauteng previously.
In the 2012/ 13 international season, Faul held the Acting CEO role within Cricket South Africa before, replacing the outgoing Gerald Majola. In addition to this major development the CSA board indicated that former Proteas Wicketkeeper and ICC President, Dave Richardson was also approached for the acting role however declined due to impending commitments.
Richardson never the less has offered his support to Dr Faul during his tenure as Acting CEO in a consulting capacity. I have no doubt that Dr Faul is a worthy candidate for the role and it would not surprise me if he were offered the position in a permanent capacity.
Both the Lions and Titans franchises reaped many awards and accolades during his respective tenures and it’s a high possibility that he is indeed the right candidate for the role. Unfortunately, there was no confirmation from the board as to Dr Faul’s temporary replacement at the Titans.
The President of Cricket South Africa, Chris Nenzani provided the pièce de résistance when he dished out the news most South African cricket fans were waiting to hear.
Nenzani indicated that Graeme Smith is indeed the preferred candidate and will be making his official decision and signing his contract on Wednesday.
However, Smith is not the messiah. While Smith is indeed a worthy candidate for the Director of Cricket role he has to prove himself as a worthy recipient much like his tenure as Test captain in 2003.
Smith’s role, should he choose to accept it (had to throw a Mission Impossible line in there), is going to be a monumental task. Cricket South Africa is in the worst possible position at the moment.
With financial, governance and misconduct issues spiralling out of control, it will need the services of 2 experienced and commanding powerhouses.
Smith and Faul could build a solid partnership which may steady the ship, especially considering that the remaining board members have decided to continue their respective appointments. Faul’s hefty commercial experience may be the remedy the good doctor will provide to inject suitable funds in what has been a dismal financial period within CSA.
The relationship between Smith Faul goes back many years and is certainly evident in the press conference below:
Smith will complement Dr Faul’s pursuit of commercial gains with his authoritarian approach and iron-clad (no-nonsense leadership). If you are a novice in the realm of cricket and unsure about Smith’s infamous “no-nonsense” approach, check out this video below:
Yip, Graeme slated Faf and Temba’s pursuit of a successful coin toss. I have no doubt that while this may be uncharted waters for Captain Biff and an all too familiar territory for Dr Faul, they are certainly the best candidates to steer the ship to calmer seas.
Here’s the crux of it all: England will arrive in less than two weeks with a highly talented and “inform” squad. While it’s uncertain as to the eventual Proteas Test team that will play our boisterous visitors, we will have the most effective leaders in place.
WATCH: THE ALL-IMPORTANT CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA PRESS CONFERENCE
Do you think these are effective appointments?
Sound off your comments below!
Yours in Peace, Love and Cricket
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