Norman Arendse

Cape Town - Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Norman Arendse SC dropped a bombshell at a media conference at Newlands Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, when he announced he was resigning as CSA president and International Cricket Council positions with immediate effect.

Arendse read out a prepared statement: "It is important that the person who presides over cricket in our country enjoys the full trust and confidence of his chief executive officer (CEO), and all 11 affiliates who are the custodians of the game. Currently, I enjoy neither – and it does not assist me that I may enjoy constitutional protection against my removal at this stage until my three year-term ends in August 2010.

"The truth of the matter is that although I was returned unopposed as president of Cricket South Africa (CSA) in August 2007 for a three-year term, I never at any stage enjoyed the full trust and confidence of the CEO, and all 11 affiliates. The CEO is of the view that the president is merely a ceremonial head there to preside over meetings, and to attend matches, and functions.

"By contrast, I hold the view that the CEO is employed by the Board, and is accountable to it. The president, in between meetings, stands in the shoes of the employer (the Board), and the CEO is accountable to him.

"As a consequence of these sharply contrasting positions, the relationship between the CEO and I, has broken down irretrievably. Should we continue in this way, there is a real danger that cricket may be plunged into a crisis, and the game be brought into disrepute.

Unhealthy situation

"The office of the president of CSA must be respected, and be supported by all, including the CEO and all 11 affiliates – at all times. This is currently not the case: historically, the 6:5 split in South African cricket has bedevilled the administration of the game in South Africa, and has reared its ugly head again.

"Currently six of the 11 affiliates appear not to support me as president. The manipulation of this situation in South African cricket is most unhealthy, and detrimental to the game. Since unity in 1992, those affiliates who continue steadfastly to support me, i.e.

"Western Province, Boland, Eastern Province, Border, and KwaZulu-Natal have traditionally been the affiliates that are supportive of transformation in cricket as they come from the non-racial fold under SACOS (and its successor the National Sports Congress). The other affiliates have battled to come to terms with transformation, and in some instances, transformation is completely lacking, and remains a foreign concept.

"The CEO, and others, have done well to exploit these differences, and as a result, six of these affiliates have apparently indicated that they no longer have confidence in me. Although I have to accept this view, I find it ironic: even my worst detractors cannot, and do not, accuse me of incompetence, dishonesty, corruption, or some other fraudulent conduct. The charges against me appear to be my transformation agenda, and my demand of the CEO that he be accountable to me in my representative capacity as the president of the Board.

"I plead guilty to both charges, and have nothing to say in mitigation of sentence! As someone who comes out of the non-racial fold under SACOS (and subsequently the National Sports Congress), I proudly associate myself with an (open) transformation agenda which seeks to strive for a non-racial society based on the values in our Constitution of equality, dignity, freedom, and fair and equal opportunities and access to the game for all members of our diverse communities.

"The issue of accountability is critical to the success of any code of sport so as to avoid a situation where any code becomes the private property of any one person who manipulates historical divisions in our society, and in our sport, in order to advance his or her own agenda, and personal interests.

"On the charges that I want to take over the CEO's job, and run cricket, and that I acted unilaterally at ICC level, I reject these charges with the contempt they deserve. I have a more than full-time legal practice, and have no wish or desire, let alone the time, to run cricket. I have always been a part-time, unpaid, honorary official who served the game in the public interest. As regards the ICC, I was the first president to account to the Board on ICC matters.

With immediate effect

"I at all times requested the Board's input on important matters. I consulted the CEO extensively on issues such as Zimbabwe and Pakistan.

"Regrettably, I have decided to give way although I live for cricket, I do not make a living from cricket (and never have), and it would not make sense for me to continue to want to put the administration of the game under pressure due to my fundamental (and irresoluble) differences with the CEO.

"In these circumstances, it has become untenable for me to continue presiding over CSA as its president. Accordingly, I have decided to resign with immediate effect.

"It has been an honour to serve as president of Cricket South Africa, and to follow in the illustrious footsteps of some of my predecessors – at a relatively young age – and to represent our country at the highest level.

"I have always been involved in the game so that I may contribute to ensuring that those who are disadvantaged, underprivileged, and poor, are given full and equal access and opportunities to participate in this great game – on and off the field.

"It is my sincere wish and desire that my successor pursues this vision with passion, commitment, honesty and integrity. Although we must strive for unity in cricket, we can only achieve real unity once we rid the game of self-serving administrators, those who seek to preserve the status quo (based on inequality and privilege), and those who continually manipulate the historical divisions in sport.

"Sadly, many administrators are elected or appointed on the basis of the particular agenda that they serve, and not on the basis of their ability or capacity to make a meaningful contribution to the game. As a consequence, many of our best, and most able, administrators languish on the sidelines, marginalised because their only interest is the best interests of the game.

"Although the professional side of cricket appears to be in good shape with all the Champions League monies flowing into the coffers of CSA, there remain huge challenges at grassroots level that require priority attention.

"Our schools, rural, and club cricket is in a mess; and funding for grassroots amateur cricket needs to be increased exponentially. This requires the budget of CSA to be totally transformed to address the real and tangible needs of the previously disadvantaged, the less privileged, needy and poor cricketers.

"My patriotism for my country, and my passion for the game, remain undiminished, and I will provide whatever support I am required to give when I am called upon to do so.

"I will immediately also tender my resignation to the International Cricket Council (ICC) president, Dave Morgan, in my capacity as executive board member of the ICC, as director of IDI (the ICC's commercial arm), as chairperson of the ICC's HR and Remuneration Committee, and as a member of its Governance Committee. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve my country at the highest level.

"It remains for me to thank all those who have continued to support the transformation agenda, and me personally (especially ordinary South Africans in the streets) and those who have encouraged me through some difficult periods during my term of office."