JOHANNESBURG: Ahead of their India tour, South African cricket plunged into a crisis with Cricket South Africa (CSA) sacking its entire selection committee and putting up an interim panel after the resignation of coach Mickey Arthur.
Mike Procter, conveyor of the selectors, said “a meeting held last week with CSA bosses did not go well.”
“Whatever transpired at that meeting led them to get rid of Mickey and also the selectors,” Procter said Wednesday.
Procter said CSA chief executive Gerald Majola told him that the selection panel was dysfunctional.
“It was a huge shock to us all.”
“He said this selection panel would not be required in future. I think we had too short a time in the business: as selectors we always gave our own thoughts, we never ended up voting on issues. I think we were doing pretty well and in the short time we did introduce some new players.”
Majola said Arthur”s resignation came through the normal stock-taking process which followed the England home series and against the backdrop of the disappointing results of 2009.
“As this process unfolded and remedies were sought, Mickey expressed the very honest and humble view that he did not believe that at this stage he could continue as coach of the Proteas.”
“In the circumstances, he tendered his resignation and it is with much regret that the CSA Board accepted it. We have accepted Mickey’s view that a change at the coaching helm is needed,” Majola said Wednesday.
Majola said CSA’s high performance coach Corrie van Zyl will take over the coaching reins on a caretaker basis.
The interim selection committee, which will replace the one led by Procter, comprises Majola, van Zyl and former captain Kepler Wessels.
The turmoil in South African cricket comes four days before the Proteas travel to India for a series, which includes two Tests, that will decide the top Test slot.
Van Zyl will now be in charge of the team in India.
“It’s not the ideal situation to take over now, but I have worked with Mickey before,” Van Zyl said.
“I had been focusing on the high performance center till Monday, but I will meet with the captain in Cape Town tomorrow to prepare for India.”
Arthur said he resigned because his vision for the national team differed with that of the board.
“I am disappointed, because when I started there I said I wanted to get South Africa to No. 1 in both forms of the game, I wanted to be the first South African coach to win in England, and the first to win in Australia. The only thing I didn’t achieve was an ICC trophy,” Arthur said.
Captain Graeme Smith was upset with the turn of events.
“Yesterday was a tough day for me,” said Smith, who sat next to Arthur at a news conference.
“Mickey brought a lot of stability and calmness to the team and, having worked so closely together, it was disappointing, it hurt me, to hear the media telling everybody our relationship had broken down. I can tell you we spoke a few times on the telephone yesterday, so much for our relationship being irreparably damaged, we had a very healthy relationship and I gave him my full support.”
