Non-white to step into Bacher's shoes

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa, Jan 24: South African cricket will get a black managing director in the wake of the shake-up that resulted in United Cricket Board (UCB) president Raymond White resigning Saturday, reports AFP.

Ali Bacher, the current managing director, said in Bloemfontein Sunday he will step aside by October 1. But he will remain in charge of the sport's administration as executive director, a position which will be created for him.

In that capacity, Bacher aims to help the new managing director settle in over a two-year period. Bacher will also be in charge of planning for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

Bacher said his successor as MD would definitely be black.

"We have to be realistic on that issue, but the key factor will be the ability of the person, whether he is headhunted or appointed from inside cricket," he said.

"He does not necessarily have to have a cricket background, but it is important that it must not be a political appointment."

South African cricket appeared to be in turmoil following the resignation of White, who was accused by UCB council member Gerald Majola of retarding transformation.

Majola, a national selector, also called for the appointment of a black chief executive.

"It is vitally important that during the World Cup and the period leading to it that blacks start playing a vital role in the running of the game," Majola said in a letter that led to White's resignation at a UCB council meeting in Johannesburg Saturday.

Explaining the latest developments, Bacher, a former Test captain, said he was not being pushed out of administrative control of the sport.

Bacher spoke to journalists during a one-day international between South Africa and England in Bloemfontein Sunday. He said he would only switch full-time to planning the World Cup in April 2002.

Bacher announced, however, that he would resign as chairman of the International Cricket Council's development committee.

The weekend's developments have rocked a sport long hailed as one of the success stories of the new South Africa since democratic elections in 1994.

Majola's letter to White followed several incidents in which white cricket officials were accused of dragging their heels on the transformation issue.

White's resignation will be effective February 11, after he has attended a meeting of the International Cricket Council in Singapore February 9 to discuss commercial arrangements for the World Cup.

He will be succeeded by vice-president Percy Sonn, who will be acting president until the annual meeting in July.

Sonn, like Majola, is a former member of the "nonracial" SA Cricket Board which merged with the formerly all-white SA Cricket Union in 1991.

Although the majority of top level players in South African cricket are white, there has been increasing pressure to bring more black South Africans into positions of influence in the sport.

Rushdi Magiet became the first black covenor of selectors at the start of the season.

Concern that uncertainty over the administration of the sport might spill over into the performances of the national team led by Hansie Cronje was fuelled Sunday when England thrashed South Africa by nine wickets with 10.3 overs to spare, one of their heaviest defeats for several years.