African Cricket gets tough on union
The African Cricket Association (ACA) has ordered Malawi Cricket Union (MCU) to fulfill at least 15 conditions by February 2014 if it is to be readmitted as a member of the continental cricket body.
ACA suspended MCU in 2011 for failing to account for funding amounting to $80 000 (about K28 million at current exchange rate) meant for cricket development in the country.
The move came in the wake of an audit ACA conducted on MCU accounts, which was being led by Riz Omar, that exposed irregularities on how the funding was used.
Following the suspension, MCU can neither participate in international events nor access funding from the continental cricket body.
ACA chief executive officer Cassim Suliman told Nation of Sunday in a telephone interview from South Africa on Wednesday that the holding of an elective general meeting and the reviewing of their constitution, which has not been updated since 1925, are some of the major terms that need to be met.
The list also includes other requirements such as the need for MCU to set up a secretariat, hire a team manager and coach, submit budgets following an International Cricket Council (ICC) format and present a development programme, which includes women’s cricket.
“If MCU fails to [abide by] the reforms by the set deadline, I am afraid, Malawi cricket will be banned for good,” warned Suliman.
Omar was quoted on July 24 2011 in The Sunday Times as saying some of the money MCU received was used for cricket development programmes.
“It was, therefore, hard to document the expenditure. We explained this to the ICC envoys. We thought they had understood our situation,” he said.
But incumbent MCU general secretary Khrishna Achuthan said they are in the process of putting their house in order.
He said MCU got the restructuring exercise underway some months ago and they have so far worked closely with Sports Council to revamp their constitution.
“The restructuring process is a time-consuming exercise; it is not an easy task by any means. But we will not tire to get our house in order on schedule as required by the ICC,” Achuthan said.
According to Achuthan, the approval of the revised constitution, the establishment of a full-time office with appropriate staff, the emphasis on development programmes, budgeting for the programme and implementation would be the first step towards achieving their goal.
“Once we achieve this, the relevant procedures will be implemented so that MCU is managed efficiently,” he said.
MCU’s ban has jeopardised Malawi national team’s outstanding form and its promotion to the lucrative ICC Africa World League Division Two after winning the Africa World League Division Three Championships the country hosted at Country Club Limbe in October 2009.
