The ICC debacle – no honesty among thieves
Their sycophantic relationship dates back to the 1970s when Chingoka was a student at a segregated (black Africans only) university in South Africa's eastern Cape during the apartheid era. He led a black (segregated) side in a meaningless domestic limited-overs tournament and Mali, associated with the establishment South African Cricket Union, was the team's manager.
Now the London-based Mani, a ICC financial expert, has pointed a finger at the way the executive chose to keep secret the independent forensic audit of report Zimbabwe Cricket's affairs. Mani who worked with Speed for three years and along with Australian Malcolm Gray, was responsible for creating a transparent organisation after the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal.
Mali though has been a disaster since filling, on a temporary basis, the presidential role after the death of Percy Sonn. It is known that Sonn didn't have a lot of time for Chingoka or Ozias Bvute, the ZC CEO, whose behaviour at times resembles that of a swaggering bully.
This typifies the current Zimbabwe government's actions where the Robert Mugabe Zanu-PF party arrogantly refuses to concede defeat despite being beaten at the polls.
Already certain international groups, which have links with the cricket through companies in Test-playing countries, have expressed growing doubts about certain administrative practices.
It seems that Africans Mali and Chingoka are prepared to sacrifice Speed and the ICC's reputation to salvage their own egos. In this they were abetted by Cricket South Africa's president Norman Arendse. This, remember, is the man who tried to justify the race selection policy that resulted in an emotional Charl Langeveldt withdrawing from the tour of India.
The way Speed was forced to step down after a breakdown with Mali, also suggests that there is a lot more to the withdrawal of Imitaz Patel, targeted by the ICC for Speed's post, as a CEO candidate, than has been made public. This is where any number of issues within the ICC lack transparency.
Among them is the on-going squabble over ICC's attitude towards the Indian Cricket League.
David Morgan, ICC president elect, said it is wrong to suggest that the ICL question is another reason why Speed and certain executive board members had a falling out.
Well now, this is really interesting. Why, so soon is it that after the debacle of the Arendse move to squash the Zimbabwe forensic audit from the public domain did a certain question of policy arise over the ICC and the ICL? The BCCI, behaving as a cantankerous old man unable to get its own way, also started throwing its weight around at the expense of transparency.
Is this where the Indian board decided to use their financial clout? How much are Zimbabwe getting to become another of those who sold their soul (if they have one), to the BCCI? And Kenya as well for that matter.
Morgan's jingoistic address to the media at Lord's says little that is revealing and the lack of frankness suggests as the ICC president elect he is also under the BCCI thumb. As will, it seems the CEO elect Haroon Lorgat.
Former England captain Tony Grieg is a towering guy known for his bonhomie as well as his frankness. More than once he has suggested how the ICC should be run as a business.
It was during the ICC Champions Trophy in Colombo and the CWC03 in South Africa that Speed revealed how with Fraser and Mani, plans were not only being looked at to modernise the ICC international business portfolio it but bring it into line with current corporate business practices.
This was part of Speed's thrust and his brief as part of the game's growing globalisation plans and the game's 21st Century image. And let us not forget how globalisation, despite its detractors, had been a pet project of Jagmohan Dalmiya.
The ICC are now sitting where they were after Crongate surfaced in April 2000, a discredited, untrustworthy rabble. It will need a massive cleanout of dead administrative wood and much player goodwill to climb out of this dishonourable political gutter of their making
Total Comments: 12
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Posted : By Manoj Nair
Trever once again impresses with his English vocabulary! Come on Trever we know you are good at it. If those spaces can be used for more substance the story would stand its test. In spite, there are lot of facts that you have bought out but do you have answers? Tony or yourself saying ICC should be run as a business is possibly said by one and all including the guy at the ticket selling counter at a football stadium! Not new! Come up with solutions to cleanse this mess! Like for example make ICC a Private Limited Company and ensure it is run by business professionals with technical stuff left to cricketers. By the way Speed wasnt too good a administrator though you have made all out attempt to bring out some of his contribution at some events! He was just average if you ask even his close friends except few here and there like yourselves. Are you reading?
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Posted : By sonibb
This guy Punit whose left a comment is so dumbwat crap he writes....any idea bt economics???Stupid BLIND Cricket Follower....Ban Punit plzz
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Posted : By horry
you are right but don''t you think that BCCI is doing what ICC should have done, so in this manner BCCI should rule and will for long time.
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Posted : By Ashish Shourie
Well said, Mrs Paula. Many of us appreciate his openess and insight. Unfortunately, like me, there are not many who have memories of Trevor''s Indian Exptress columns and stories. I certainly enjoyed them and his touch which is why I look forward to his weekly comments.We may not always agree with his viewpoint, but he makes a lot of sense. You are a very fortunate lady. But people like Amir have a grudge; they see a name as his and make wild assumptions.With kind wishesAshish
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Posted : By silentecho
You guys need to distinguish between blind patriotism and insightful criticism. Zimbabwe cricket board has proven ties with a murderous, heartless dictatorship. Just ask yourself, would Gandhi support someone who revels in torturing people? Before you jump in with anti-indian arguments, please wakeup and see that BCCI has sold the soul of this country by their support to this brutal regime. Yeah, Australia and England had their share of mistakes, but now BCCI is in the driving seat, and this is how India is going to handle it? I will finish with a quote from Gandhi, Be the change you want to see...Don''t tell that to BCCI though, they would probably try to patent the line and figure a way to make money off it.
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