Bowing to relentless pressure from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the International Cricket Council (ICC) is said to have constituted an inquiry committee to probe alleged charges of inappropriate conduct against Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Haroon
Though the ICC and the respective boards (CSA and BCCI) preferred to remain tightlipped on the issue, the committee, it was learnt, has sidelined Lorgat from CSA’s functioning at least for some time now much to the delight of the Indian board. “The ICC has constituted a committee to probe allegations leveled against Lorgat and Becker. Meanwhile, the CSA has assured that Lorgat will neither interfere in the BCCI or ICC’s dealing till the probe is completed,” said a source in the BCCI, to HT.
It was learnt that the initiation of probe against Lorgat will clear way for India’s tour of South Africa and both boards are likely to issue a joint statement in this regard in a day or two. On Saturday, the concluding day of the ICC Board Meeting in London, the BCCI had allegedly threatened to call off the tour if action was not taken against Lorgat.
According to a report in The Indian Express, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has told its chief executive Haroon Lorgat to stay away from all matters relating to India and the International Cricket Council even as the MS Dhoni-led team's two-Test and three ODI tour to the African nation was officially confirmed on Tuesday.
The reduced role of Lorgat in CSA means that the Board of Control for Cricket in India has had its way. Lorgat has been advised to stay away from international matters till an ICC investigation is completed. The independent third-party probe will look into a statement released recently by former legal advisor of the CSA, David Becker which had criticised the ICC for being bullied by India, a joint release by BCCI and CSA said. Indian cricket board officials raised a strong objection to the statement, which they believed was done at the behest of Lorgat.
India's tour to South Africa was at stake once Lorgat, who shares an acrimonious relationship with BCCI officials from his time as ICC chief executive, took up a similar post with Cricket South Africa earlier this year. However, matters had come to a head after Becker's statement.
Meanwhile according to a report in Deccan Chronicle, the BCCI today gave its consent to India's tour of South Africa after Cricket South Africa withdrew its CEO Haroon Lorgat from not just its dealings with the Indian Board but also the ICC Chief Executives Committee pending an enquiry into his actions.
"Following meetings in London over the past couple of days, CSA and the BCCI have today announced that the South Africa cricket team will play against India in an upcoming home series comprising of two Test matches and three One Day International matches, the specific dates and details of which will be announced in due course," the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a joint statement.
"In addition, both parties have also agreed to continue with good faith discussions between their respective Presidents about the possibility of agreeing further bilateral arrangements in respect of the scheduled fixtures between the two teams, and taking into account any scheduling imbalances from previous years."
However, Cricket South Africa (CSA) chairman Chris Nenzani on Tuesday said CEO Haroon Lorgat has not been suspended and his removal relates only to the allegations contained in the David Becker article and he remains responsible for all other areas of the board's operations.
"I would like to stress that Mr. Lorgat has not been suspended," Chris Nenzani, Chairman of the CSA Board of Directors, said in a short statement.
"In fact, (Lorgat) himself volunteered to withdraw from matters involving the ICC and the BCCI in his deliberations with the full Board at their meeting last Sunday.