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Cape Town - The Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) on Tuesday won its arbitration case against Cricket South Africa (CSA) with costs, signalling another blow for the game's governing body in the country.
This comes after CSA had placed the WPCA board under administration on September 22 after taking issue with certain financial aspects of a major development currently underway at Newlands stadium that is reportedly worth around R750 million.
CSA had appointed former WPCA CEO Andre Odendaal to run the union's finances in an independent capacity while the entire board was suspended as a result, but this arbitration victory is likely to see the board reinstated immediately.
CSA then confirmed on Wednesday that they would not be challenging the decision.
"CSA has no intention of subjecting this award to a judicial review," the organisation said in a statement.
"In his analysis, the arbitrator has identified certain shortcomings in the CSA Memorandum of Incorporation which CSA will address immediately with a view to ensuring that the CSA governance framework remains robust, relevant and fit for purpose.
"CSA has advised the administrator appointed to the WPCA, Professor Andre Odendaal, of the outcome of the arbitration and its effect on his tenure as the administrator. CSA wishes to thank Professor Andre Odendaal for the impressive work that he has done during his short tenure as the administrator of the WPCA, in particular, in bringing up to speed the NCG development project and ensuring that all the stakeholders in the Western Province continue to work in tandem toward the achievement and realisation of this key objective.
"The operations of the WPCA and cricket in general in the Western Province will remain uninterrupted. CSA sends its best wishes to the WPCA."
Newly-appointed WPCA president Nicolas Kock, meanwhile, welcomed the action.
"We are pleased that this has been completed," he was quoted as saying by Netwerk24.
"We do not want a hostile relationship with CSA.
"The WPCA council remains committed to ethical leadership in the interest of cricket in our community."
The decision comes at a difficult time for CSA, who are also currently engaged in a legal dispute with the South African Cricketers Association (SACA) over the proposed domestic restructure.
The organisation is also facing a leadership crisis with three senior officials - Corrie van Zyl, Clive Eksteen and Naasei Appiah - suspended in bizarre fashion while the Proteas national side is currently operating without a permanent head coach or director of cricket.
The disagreement between CSA and the WPCA had threatened to see the January 3 Newlands Test against England taken to another venue, but it has since been confirmed that it will go ahead.
