There was a widely held belief that Cricket SA was in desperate need of executive dynamism at the helm but instead of that the organisation will be run by a man imbued with an enormous quantity of decency, and I believe that will be a very good thing.
Dynamism is only good in the short term if there is no trust and Pholetsi Moseki might just be the most trustworthy man or woman in the entire structure of the national game. Unhindered by personal ambition or agenda, he has spent the past 15 months learning the aspects of the business which lay outside his first sphere of control as CFO.
Pholetsi never sought to win friends, he never has because he doesn’t need to. He grew up understanding the importance of respect and decency and he has found it to be reciprocated far more often than not. Sport is an industry awash with ego, of course, but it appears that Moseki’s lack of one has been a disarming benefit.
His knowledge and understanding of the numbers is critical to the rebuilding of the game. Too many “cricket people” in recent years were either unwilling or incapable of seeing, or believing, the big financial picture when there were still hundreds of millions of rand in Cricket SA’s reserves and there were millions of dollars from TV rights and ICC events in the offing. That is why the organisation grew beyond its means with expenses exceeding a R1bn a year.
But here is the kicker which may just make Moseki a far more inspired appointment than any of the high-rolling or high-profile possibilities who rejected approaches on the basis of either Cricket SA’s reputation for back-stabbing and dysfunctionality — or its lack of an adequate, corporate-sized budget.
Of all Moseki’s qualities, and there are many, the most important for the immediate future of Cricket SA may be that he knows, and recognises, what he doesn’t know. And because he is modest and cares only about doing the best job possible and not personal recognition or reward, he is not just prepared to delegate, he is happy to because it is in the best interests of the game.
Moseki has seen first-hand the level of respect and co-operation afforded to Graeme Smith by other international executives. Cricket SA is in desperate need of cash and, as director of cricket, Smith was and remains the only person in the country able to persuade the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to fit an extra series of T20 Internationals into their already over-crowded schedule just to keep the game in this country financially afloat.
Next summer’s Proteas fixture list has yet to be finalised but there are negotiations taking place between Cricket SA and the BCCI, fronted by Smith, for an unprecedented series of six T20Is to take place in SA worth about R400m, enough to provide Cricket SA with about 18 months breathing room until another plan can be made.
Restructuring and cost-cutting will be critical but that is not the way forward long term. The fact that not a single domestic competition has a sponsor is embarrassing. The consequences of five of the country’s best cricketers choosing to play a full season of IPL cricket instead of giving up a fortnight for a two Test series against Bangladesh could be catastrophic. How can anybody expect the country’s sports fans to make Proteas cricket their priority when the brightest lights on the field don’t?
The difference between being CEO on an interim basis and Moseki’s full-time appointment is almost immeasurable. Instead of tiptoeing around a board of directors with too many interfering members, Moseki can now get on with his job with the people he knows and trusts, like Smith. Even if, as expected, the former captain decides not to reapply for the director of cricket position full time, Moseki knows he cannot be an effective CEO without him. “We have been through too many wars together,” he told Rapport at the weekend.
The SA Cricketers Association have been warning Cricket SA for years about the likely clash of bilateral series with franchise leagues, mostly the IPL, and now that SA’s realistic chances of competing in the second edition of the World Test Championship final might be terminally compromised (they may still beat Bangladesh with a second string bowling attack) it was surely time for a message of heartfelt reassurance to cricket lovers. Not from Moseki himself but from the players who chose T20 cash over Test cricket.
Moseki has a mountain of work ahead of him but he can get through it with the right people assisting. Sponsors must be wooed, broadcast partners meaningfully engaged, supporters calmed and the relationship with the Proteas players repaired. There is still opportunity for an internationally attractive domestic series because of SA’s facilities and friendly time-zone.
Dynamism is still indisputably required but, for now, at least there is decency and respect at the top. It’s a vital place to start.
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