The cancer in South African cricket

Majola means "snake".

Nyoka means "snake".

Go figure. There was a time when people with honour ran cricket.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/editorials/article1030929.ece/Cricket-bosses-must-have-the-balls-to-deal-with-bonuses

Cricket bosses must have the balls to deal with bonuses
Apr 19, 2011 11:35 PM

The Times Editorial: The scandal in South African cricket just won't go away. No matter how much the officials in the game try to pretend it is not there, it keeps returning, like an ugly bouncer aimed at a batsman's head.
President of Cricket South Africa, Dr Mthuthuzeli Nyoka, during the press conference at the Wanderers club, in Johannesburg. Pic: Sydney Seshibedi. 30/07/2009. � The Times.

Essentially, the problem with the bonuses paid to employees at Cricket South Africa is the unwillingness to face up to the issue and deal with it openly and honestly. This unwillingness stems from moral cowardice among its most senior members - those who, as part of Cricket South Africa's board, are responsible for corporate governance in the game.

The scandal started a long time ago, but was uncovered only recently. It entailed the payment of bonuses to Cricket South Africa workers who were involved with the organisation of two tournaments staged in South Africa in 2009, the Indian Premier League and the follow-up Champions League, which is held under the auspices of the International Cricket Council.

Despite clear warnings that the payments were highly irregular, the directors of Cricket South Africa chose to turn a blind eye to the emerging scandal and swept it under a carpet (a cricket mat?) with an internal investigation that failed to convince the broader public.

This failure to deal with the problem also led to the ousting of Cricket South Africa's president, Mtutuzeli Nyoka, when he insisted on a more transparent investigation. It was a strange way to deal with an issue that has now become a huge embarrassment for the game in this country.

Nyoka took his dismissal to court, and won. From the evidence in the case, it is now clear that senior employees of Cricket South Africa, notably chief executive Gerald Majola, were less than transparent about the bonuses.

The scandal is set to haunt Cricket South Africa until its directors, the guardians of the game, show some so far non-existent backbone and cut out this cancer from our cricket.