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Johannesburg - South Africa will not be able to host a major international cricket tournament at the newly constructed World Cup stadia, Cricket South Africa told Parliament on Tuesday.
CSA chief executive Gerald Majola told the portfolio committee on sport the pitches of the World Cup stadiums were too small for cricket and that only the Moses Mabhida stadium had the potential to host a cricket game.
Majola said this was caused by the failure to consult cricket authorities on the size of pitches before the construction of the World Cup soccer stadia. It also slowed development of the sport in Polokwane, Rustenburg and Nelspruit, Majola said.
"Historically, our game had not been played in some of areas where some of stadiums were built," Majola said.
"We saw an opportunity, but unfortunately we were not part of the designs of the stadiums.
"If we had met before the time and considered the issues we would have known stadiums would have been accommodating others sports as well."
Majola said International Cricket Council regulations stipulated that the minimum distance of the boundary square of the pitch had to be 137 metres and that the minimum distance of the straight boundary had to be 149 metres.
He said CSA had wanted to open up cricket by using stadiums in Polokwane, Rustenburg and Nelspruit to host a 20-over tournament to compete with the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"We were hoping the stadiums were going to help us get into areas we had never been. He said CSA were eyeing Rustenburg Polokwane and Nelspruit for this purpose.
"We were really trying to get a tournament to be played similar to the IPL, but unfortunately due to the congestion of the future tour programme, which governs how cricket is played internationally, we could not find a gap for our own competition."
The three stadiums would have given an opportunity "to find a window".
"It would have meant we would have had an event annually in those three stadiums, which we could have hosted every year in August, maybe early September."
August apparently was the only window when all other countries, except England, were not participating and were free to participate. This meant the CSA could have lured the best players in the world to the country.
"Unfortunately we are compelled by the size of fields. When these fields were built, we were not part of that."
Majola said the Moses Mabhida stadium was still 22m "short on the square" but had been given clearance to host a festival game to mark the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in South Africa.
"For this particular game, because of its importance to South Africa, I had to motivate to ICC and ask for special dispensation," he said.
"The biggest capacity for cricket in South Africa is at Wanderers with 35,000. At the Mabhida we will have 70 000 spectators coming... We know that the day we sell the tickets, the tickets will be sold out."
The stadium's management, he said, had indicated that it was considering removing the first six rows of seats around the stadium to accommodate an athletics track.
"If that happens we will apply (to the ICC) for full status to utilise the Mabhida stadium," he said.
ANC MP Litho Suka said the inability of the stadiums to host cricket games had cost the youth especially.
"If there are three areas that can't access cricket, surely we are denying a huge number of youth the opportunity to develop their talent," he said.
Another ANC MP said she "concerned" about the consultation in the construction of the stadiums.
"Cricket is one our major sporting codes in South Africa and I thought during the consultative process that everyone was consulted,"
"At the end of the day the game was not only about football. I thought there was a big consultative process with all sporting federations.
"Only on one they can play cricket on that field. It is a concern to me."
CSA chief executive Gerald Majola told the portfolio committee on sport the pitches of the World Cup stadiums were too small for cricket and that only the Moses Mabhida stadium had the potential to host a cricket game.
Majola said this was caused by the failure to consult cricket authorities on the size of pitches before the construction of the World Cup soccer stadia. It also slowed development of the sport in Polokwane, Rustenburg and Nelspruit, Majola said.
"Historically, our game had not been played in some of areas where some of stadiums were built," Majola said.
"We saw an opportunity, but unfortunately we were not part of the designs of the stadiums.
"If we had met before the time and considered the issues we would have known stadiums would have been accommodating others sports as well."
Majola said International Cricket Council regulations stipulated that the minimum distance of the boundary square of the pitch had to be 137 metres and that the minimum distance of the straight boundary had to be 149 metres.
He said CSA had wanted to open up cricket by using stadiums in Polokwane, Rustenburg and Nelspruit to host a 20-over tournament to compete with the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"We were hoping the stadiums were going to help us get into areas we had never been. He said CSA were eyeing Rustenburg Polokwane and Nelspruit for this purpose.
"We were really trying to get a tournament to be played similar to the IPL, but unfortunately due to the congestion of the future tour programme, which governs how cricket is played internationally, we could not find a gap for our own competition."
The three stadiums would have given an opportunity "to find a window".
"It would have meant we would have had an event annually in those three stadiums, which we could have hosted every year in August, maybe early September."
August apparently was the only window when all other countries, except England, were not participating and were free to participate. This meant the CSA could have lured the best players in the world to the country.
"Unfortunately we are compelled by the size of fields. When these fields were built, we were not part of that."
Majola said the Moses Mabhida stadium was still 22m "short on the square" but had been given clearance to host a festival game to mark the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in South Africa.
"For this particular game, because of its importance to South Africa, I had to motivate to ICC and ask for special dispensation," he said.
"The biggest capacity for cricket in South Africa is at Wanderers with 35,000. At the Mabhida we will have 70 000 spectators coming... We know that the day we sell the tickets, the tickets will be sold out."
The stadium's management, he said, had indicated that it was considering removing the first six rows of seats around the stadium to accommodate an athletics track.
"If that happens we will apply (to the ICC) for full status to utilise the Mabhida stadium," he said.
ANC MP Litho Suka said the inability of the stadiums to host cricket games had cost the youth especially.
"If there are three areas that can't access cricket, surely we are denying a huge number of youth the opportunity to develop their talent," he said.
Another ANC MP said she "concerned" about the consultation in the construction of the stadiums.
"Cricket is one our major sporting codes in South Africa and I thought during the consultative process that everyone was consulted,"
"At the end of the day the game was not only about football. I thought there was a big consultative process with all sporting federations.
"Only on one they can play cricket on that field. It is a concern to me."
