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Johannesburg - Suspended Cricket SA (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola was not trying to delay disciplinary proceedings against him, his lawyers said on Tuesday.
"There is usually a pre-hearing conference before something like this to get certain details out the way and make the process run smoother," said Pumezo David, a director at Knowles Husain Lindsay Inc. Attorneys.
"We haven't had that conference, so this doesn't seem like people who want to move things along."
David, who said the lawyers had not yet seen documents ahead of the hearing, believed CSA had been optimistic in predicting the start of it.
"We don't know when it's going to start," he said.
"Initially, when they said the hearing would start by the end of May - that's this Friday - I thought it was ambitious.
"It was never going to happen."
David said in a statement earlier that Majola's suspension was "procedurally and substantively" unlawful.
"In order to have these proceedings finalised speedily, our client elected not to challenge his suspension in court," David said.
"It therefore cannot be true that his intentions are to delay the disciplinary proceedings.
"On the contrary, our client is anxious to have this matter finalised."
Majola reportedly failed in his bid to remove John Myburgh as the independent chairperson of the hearing.
Nicholas Preston, an associate at Glyn Marais, CSA's lawyers, told Business Day on Monday they expected further possible delays to the process after Majola's objection was turned down.
"Our client has indeed objected to the appointment of Mr John Myburgh and the reasons for that objection were provided to those concerned," David said.
"His rights are reserved in that regard. Our client's current position on this matter is also reflected in a letter to CSA's representatives."
Majola was suspended in March after R4.7m in bonuses were paid to CSA staff without clearance from the board or the remuneration committee.
David said he was "confident" of a favourable outcome.
