The KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union, which faces a critical season this year, holds its annual general meeting tomorrow.
The union is under pressure for its poor performance both on and off the field, and there is a danger that Sunfoil’s sponsorship could be terminated by the end of the summer if no improvements are seen to be made.
It’s an open secret that Sunfoil, SuperSport and even elements within Cricket South Africa are unimpressed by the union’s political leadership under president Faeez Jaffer and vice-president Logan Naidoo. The regime has been criticised for being ineffectual, incompetent and divisive.
Sunfoil’s three-year sponsorship deal with the union – which includes a township development programme – concludes at the end of this season with an option for renewal.
“If Sunfoil leaves us, who else would want to take up a sponsorship with us?” questioned one insider this week.
While there has been division, enmity and a lack of policy-making clout in the boardroom, the team has slumped on the field.
There have been signs of improvement, with the team finishing third in the Sunfoil Series last season, but it remains the case that the union has not won a trophy in the franchise era, with their best returns a share of the four-day SuperSport Series in 2004/5 and 2005/6.
Surprisingly, Jaffer has not been challenged in tomorrow’s election, but three candidates will be contesting two vice-presidential positions, with Ernest Molotsi coming to the end of his tenure.
The three candidates will be the incumbent, Naidoo, vice-president of the Durban and District Cricket Union Ben Dladla, and a late entry in former treasurer Dr Sarge Maharaj.
Maharaj said he had been prevailed upon at the 11th hour to enter the contest owing to a clamour for “fresh ideas and new leadership”.
Steve Belluigi will succeed Maharaj as treasurer.
Representatives of seven sub-unions will vote, with the powerful Durban and Districts Cricket Union having four votes, while the remaining six have a vote each. - The Mercury