Haroon Lorgat, the former ICC chief executive, remains the leading candidate for the position of CSA chief executive despite the BCCI’s “concerns.” South African cricket’s governing body is due to appoint a new head in the next month to replace acting boss Jacques Faul, who joined the Titans franchise on Friday.
ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that Lorgat was among the 90 applicants and has been shortlisted along with at least three other candidates. CSA employees Mike Gajjer, the current cricket operations manager, and Max Jordaan, the transformation manager, along with Border Cricket CEO Themba Lupuwana are among those who will rival Lorgat for the position.
Although Lorgat’s experience, which includes time as South African convenor of selectors, may appear to give him an advantage, his four years in charge of the ICC and the resultant strained relationship with India’s board could negate that. Lorgat irked the BCCI with his stance on DRS, among other things, and they have made clear their stand on his involvement.
“They raised their concerns about Haroon Lorgat,” Norman Arendse, CSA’s lead independent director, who was at the meeting, said. “We said to them we had embarked on a process, and that it would be premature to discuss him or the outcome of that process because we’re waiting for it to be concluded.”
CSA had also heard that the BCCI may threaten to pull out of next season’s tour to South Africa should Lorgat be in charge. “We said we were keen to discuss the issue because we had heard rumours that the tour was in jeopardy if Lorgat was appointed. They conveyed to us, with a fair amount of detail, why they would be opposed to his appointment,” Arendse said.
He could not expand on those details because they had not yet been conveyed to the rest of CSA’s board and Arendse said if they were made public first it “would be prejudicial to Lorgat.”
N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, said he has “nothing” to comment since it’s “their [CSA’s] internal matter”.
For now, the tour remains on and there is even talk of an extension from three Tests to four. Further details of it will be discussed at a follow-up meeting in Kolkata next month. A delegation from CSA will travel to India from April 2 to 4 and finalise arrangements.
If the new CEO is appointed by then, he will be part of the travelling party. Arendse said it would be “appropriate” to have CSA’s head at that meeting because it deals with activities that will take place on the country’s calendar next summer.
