English and South African cricket Boards to merge

 

The continued turmoil in both English and South African cricket has led to the surprise announcement that the administration of the two cricket boards is to be merged. In South Africa an enquiry into the previous CEO of Cricket South Africa Gerald Majola found him guilty of corruption. And it has been alleged that Willie Basson, CSA's acting president was involved in the Apartheid-era chemical warfare program. Meanwhile in England Giles Clarke the ECB President has never entirely recovered his reputation from the Allen Stanford affair and whilst he remains in office a cloud continues to hang over him and the ECB.

In announcing the merger of the two Boards respected cricket figure Oliver Stocken, Chairman of the MCC, who was the facilitator in the plan said “Through our World Cricket Committee we became aware of issues both in London and Johannesburg. In the Committee it was proposed that the MCC uses its good offices to try and achieve a settlement and the merger emerged as the right solution. I am pleased to announce that the Royal Bank of Scotland will be the sponsor of “Cricket Pom and Saffer” as the new organisation will colloquially be known”. Asked whether England and South Africa will now play as one team Mr Stocken said “That’s a very good question and we are setting up a Working Party to look into it. It will report at the end of 2016”