Cricket South Africa has dissolved the Northern Cape Cricket board and placed it under administration due to years of mismanagement. This action follows the relocation of an upcoming T20 series between the Proteas women and Pakistan from Kimberley to Benoni over infrastructure concerns. The move aims to prevent the loss of international accreditation for the Diamond Oval.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has taken decisive steps to address longstanding issues at the Northern Cape Cricket union. The board was dissolved and placed under administration following a preliminary Nexus forensic report last year that revealed alleged financial misconduct, including systematic fraud, corruption, and unauthorised payments. These problems had severely damaged the union's reputation and led to operational failures.
The crisis came to a head with the relocation of the T20 international series between the Proteas women and Pakistan, originally scheduled for Kimberley from February 10 to 16, 2026. The matches, set to start at 17:30 and broadcast on SABC 3, were moved to Benoni because the Diamond Oval failed to meet international compliance standards. Key concerns included the condition of the pitch, outfield, and equipment.
CSA CEO Pholetsie Moseki explained the rationale: “There were concerns about the pitch and the outfield itself, and what brought that into play were the challenges with several other issues, including equipment. This decision was not taken lightly, but I want to emphasise that it was made for the good of the oval. As I said, the last thing we wanted was for it to be stripped of its international accreditation, because it would have taken us too long to get that back. By taking this decision now, it is a short-term pain to ensure that, in the long term, the oval is able to host international cricket.”
Former Northern Cape Cricket president Gibson Molale highlighted ongoing management challenges: “The crisis is management. We do not have proper management here. You cannot replace an entire board with one person, who is an administrator, and expect miracles from one individual. It will never happen. Cricket South Africa needs to improve its performance because we need a board, a CEO, and stable leadership to run the organisation.”
Administrator Jesse Chellan has been appointed to oversee repairs and restore facilities, with hopes of bringing world-class cricket back to the province soon. Local fans expressed disappointment over missing the event.
