Bacher to move into new UCB role after weekend shake up

Bloemfontein - It is not quite the shake up which many expected after Ray White's departure as president of the United Cricket Board but there is going to be a black executive director in place of the long-serving Dr Ali Bacher by April 2002.

A controversial figure in UCB circles White is to step down on February 11 while a restructuring of the board's internal organisation creates the position of the executive director as well as that of managing director. The board's new MD will be in place at the UCB offices at The Wanderers by July 1 this year and will have, reporting to him the directors of the five internal administrative directors from finance to marketing, coaching affairs, umpiring and amateur playing structures. He is to report to Dr Bacher, in his new position as executive director for the next two years.

'For me it is time to move on and find new people to get involved in the future direction of the game in South Africa,' Dr Bacher said at a media briefing at Goodyear Park yesterday.

He had arrived in the Free State capital to watch South Africa play England in the second match of the limited-overs triangular series and held the conference to clear up what he felt were a number of misconceptions about the board meeting held on Saturday at which White resigned.

'Whether we advertise or head hunt in our search for the person we want to take over the role of managing director is to be decided in February,' Dr Bacher said.

'But you can be sure that he will be coloured,' Dr Bacher said. 'He could also be someone from inside cricket circles or someone outside the game. What I can tell you is that it is not going to be a political appointment.

'During the next two years I shall have a direct hand in guiding him and taking him with me on overseas visits: England, India, Australia. Where I go he will be with me to take a close look at how other countries operate,' Dr Bacher said.

He is to retain an intimate interest in the game at international level as well as sponsorship, television rights and media and marketing portfolios over the next two years, Dr Bacher indicated he is to slowly relinquish these posts to the new MD as part of the familiarisation programme of board affairs and policy.

Dr Bacher is to move into post as director of the World Cup 2003 committee on April 1, 2002 by which time the new managing director is to assume Dr Bacher's executive director role. Dr Bacher is to also step down as chairman of the ICC's development committee in June this year. He is, though, planning to remain involved in the game after 2003, possibly on a consulting basis. Also tied in with the 2003 World Cup was the post of logistics organising director and the person the UCB had in mind to fill the post would start on October 1 this year. The board is to also ratify the position of financial director for the 2003 World Cup in next month with the favoured candidate Ian Smith, the current director of financial affairs.

White, elected only seven months ago, steps down amid acrimony at board level with Gerald Majola, a national selector, brother of the board's director of amateur affairs, Khaya Majola, and elected to the board's executive under the UCB's revised constitution last year as part of the transformation policy. Majola accused White in a letter of being obstructive in the progress of the transformation process.

'It has become clear to me that my continued presence as the United Cricket Board president has become divisive in terms of administration of the game,' said White in a media release here yesterday.

'In the interests of cricket in South Africa, which love passionately, I have decided to step down.'