Ken Borland

It says a lot for the speed with which the Cricket South Africa Members Council and the Sports Minister want to have an interim board in place that Nathi Mthethwa will name the new temporary directors as early as midday on Friday.

But the haste has also upset several of CSA’s affiliates, who feel they have not had sufficient time to apply their minds properly and get the best candidates for the crucial positions. Controversy – never far from CSA – has also erupted with one of the three Members Council nominations, Xolani Peter Vonya, who resigned as Easterns president last weekend, apparently rejected by Minister Mthethwa because he is not considered independent enough.

Vonya is a hugely controvesial figure, who fought tooth and nail to stay on the Members Council, despite his own union casting a vote of no confidence in him, and his strongest supporters were fired CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe and current company secretary Welsh Gwaza, whose hold on power has raised serious concerns for many administrators.

The Members Council’s other two nominees were Andre Odendaal, the former Western Province and Cape Cobras CEO who has been a general Mr Fix-It for CSA, and Andile Dawn Mbatha, who is the chief financial officer of the Independent Electoral Commission but who has no cricket connections, judging by her social media posts, which are full of expensive cars, selfies and the occasional football reference. She is listed on the National Treasury’s e-tender website as being the recipient of a government tender.

Mthethwa wants the interim board to comprise nine people – three of them nominated by the Members Council, three by Sascoc and the South African Cricketers’ Association, and three by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.

CSA affiliates were apparently sent an e-mail after 9pm on Tuesday night asking for nominations for the interim board, but these had to be in by 11am on Wednesday morning, with full CVs provided. After an outcry from the unions, who complained that the sort of high-profile figures who should be nominated could not be expected to agree to be available and provide detailed CVs at such short notice, the deadline was extended to 11am on Thursday.

The names that the Members Council, which still comprises a healthy portion of the former Board, have provided do not fill one with huge confidence , but it is essential that quality administrators, strong on corporate governance and cricket knowledge, are appointed because they not only have to oversee the daily running of an organisation that is under immense pressure, but also the redrafting of the Memorandum of Incorporation to ensure the CSA Board is never again embroiled in the sort of regular scandals and mismanagement that have characterised them for the last few years.

Jake White has taken the mickey before when it comes to playing mind games against the opposition and the veteran coach was at it again on Thursday as he named his Bulls team for their big derby match against the Stormers in Pretoria on Saturday.

While White made just one change to his starting XV with Springbok tighthead Trevor Nyakane returning to the No.3 jersey to set up a crunch clash with Steven Kitshoff, he took a swipe at the Stormers and suggestions that they would be fielding a team with six forwards on the bench and just two backs.

“It will make a massive difference that the Stormers are missing two really good players in Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit. But the fact that they are coming to Loftus with like 14 locks suggests they’re going to go with six forwards and two backs on the bench, which I haven’t seen before from any Western Province team.

“When did the Stormers ever need six forwards against the Bulls before? The Stormers used to be known for running the ball but now they’re going to play six forwards off the bench and people are asking the Bulls if we’re going to kick on them?! But rugby hasn’t changed, it’s the forwards who always win the game for you and this will be one of those games where the forward battle is really important,” White said on Thursday.

The 56-year-old White certainly subscribes to the theory that a great tighthead prop is the starting point for any successful team and Nyakane is the sort of sturdy oak who can give them set-piece stability, especially when the Stormers boast a loosehead that is as wonderful a scrummager as Kitshoff. Not to mention South Africa’s first-choice tighthead Frans Malherbe and strong-scrummaging hooker Bongi Mbonambi.

“Trevor can’t play every minute of every game and he added a lot of value off the bench last weekend. But if he can have a good game against the best player in the Stormers squad and we can play with exactly the same intensity then hopefully we can build on the win against the Sharks. We know we have to match them in the scrums because the Stormers use that to get out of their half.

“According to John Dobson, Siya and Pieter-Steph are not the best players he has ever coached – that’s Kitshoff, so I felt it was only fair that we play Trevor against him. The Stormers pride themselves on their scrum and maul, but they haven’t played against this group of players and it will be good to see how they cope with us,” White said with typical bravado.

Bulls team:  David Kriel, Travis Ismaiel, Stedman Gans, Cornal Hendricks, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Morné Steyn, Ivan van Zyl, Duane Vermeulen (C), Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje, Jason Jenkins, Trevor Nyakane, Johan Grobbelaar, Jacques van Rooyen. Replacements – Joe van Zyl, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marcel van der Merwe, Sintu Manjezi, Nizaam Carr, Embrose Papier, Chris Smith, Marco Jansen van Vuren.

Sharks coach Sean Everitt on Thursday brought five new starters into the conversation – and two more on the bench – for their SuperRugby Unlocked match against the Pumas in Nelspruit.

Three of the changes were forced by injury, with openside flank James Venter (ankle), tighthead prop Thomas du Toit (calf) and eighthman Sikhumbuzo Notshe (slight hamstring strain) all not available this weekend.

The new faces

Dan Jooste – Everitt has been talking all season about hooker Dylan Richardson adapting to his new position in the front row, but now the 21-year-old former junior international gets the chance to show how interchangeable he is with openside flank as he replaces James Venter in the No.6 jersey.

Jooste is a Paarl Boys’ High product and former Stormers representative who is of similar physical dimensions to Richardson and, according to Everitt, “needs game time after coming off the bench on SuperFan day and against the Lions following a considerable length of time out with a shoulder injury”.

John-Hubert Meyer – The absence of World Cup winner Du Toit will leave the Sharks a bit bereft of leadership and grunt up front, but the Sharks have managed to locate an experienced replacement in Meyer, also born and educated in the Western Cape. The 27-year-old is a seasoned scrummager and knows his way around the gainline.

JJ van der Mescht – The Sharks second row has not been particularly good at either dominating the lineouts or making their presence felt in the collisions, and Everitt has made a change to try and generate more momentum from the tight five. Van der Mescht replaces Ruben van Heerden in the starting line-up, and while both Pretoria products are two metres tall, the 21-year-old Van der Mescht weighs 130kg (14kg more) and is a big force with ball in hand.

Henco Venter – Everitt has been at pains to point out how well his loose trio have actually been playing, but in private he must be concerned over how they have been bullied twice by the Bulls. Former Free Stater Henco Venter, at 1.93 metres and 107kg, will add a harder edge in the loose.

Madosh Tambwe – The exciting speed merchant has been nursing a hamstring strain since the start of the season, but Tambwe is now ready to go and Everitt is eager to give him game time despite the energy brought to the back three by Werner Kok.

Michael Kumbirai – According to Everitt, tighthead prop Kumbirai has worked really hard since his arrival from Western Province and there is excitement at Kings Park over getting him in the mix. “Michael is so keen to get on the field and add value, he’s got the ability to shine and hopefully he takes this opportunity. He’s a physical specimen, well-built and athletic,” Everitt said.

Thembelani Bholi – Bholi has recently moved to Durban from the Bulls, having first made his name with the Southern Kings. A loose forward with a hard edge, Bholi is well-versed at making a physical statement at the gain-line, having spent much of his career at Loftus Versfeld. He is also growing his skills and is able to turn out at eighthman as well.

Sharks team: Manie Libbok, Sbu Nkosi, Lukhanyo Am (c), Marius Louw, Madosh Tambwe, Curwin Bosch, Sanele Nohamba, Phendulani Buthelezi, Henco Venter, Dylan Richardson, Hyron Andrews, JJ van der Mescht, John-Hubert Meyer, Dan Jooste, Ox Nche. Replacements – Kerron van Vuuren, Mzamo Majola, Michael Kumbirai, Ruben van Heerden, Thembelani Bholi, Grant Williams, Jeremy Ward, Yaw Penxe.

The Imperial Lions made some impressive acquisitions ahead of this season but, for at least the opening couple of weekends, like an unsuccessful Christmas gift that needs to be returned to the shops on December 27, all four of their marquee signings could well sit out the opening 4-Day Domestic series match against the Dolphins in Durban, given the riches in personnel that the defending champions possess.

Lutho Sipamla is a Protea and a rising star in the South African fast bowling ranks, but with Eldred Hawken named as the Lions player of the season for 2019/20 and Malusi Siboto always such a reliable performer, whether Sipamla gets a game could depend on whether Beuran Hendricks, who took five wickets the last time he bowled in a Test, is fully fit.

If Sipamla can’t get a game on Monday, what chance Sisanda Magala, who is close to making his Proteas debut, and Tladi Bokako?

And it is not just in the bowling department where the Lions have tremendous depth. Judging by last season, there are five batsmen who are pretty sure of their places in Reeza and Dominic Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, captain Temba Bavuma and wicketkeeper Nicky van den Bergh.

That means new signing Wesley Marshall could well be on the bench, along with bright talents such as Josh Richards, Kagiso Rapulana and Ryan Rickelton. Only one of them can probably play, while the presence of Dwaine Pretorius, the incumbent Proteas Test all-rounder, probably means there will be no space for exciting all-rounders like Wiaan Mulder and Delano Potgieter.

“We are fortunate to have a lot of experienced players and internationals to choose from, guys who don’t need much coaching. But it’s going to be all about managing the players and ensuring the environment is conducive to us playing our best cricket. The first two rounds of the competition are going to be massive with all the Proteas taking part.

“That’s the standard that we as players look forward to, strength versus strength so we can really test ourselves as we try to win back the confidence of the supporters and their trust in the game. We have a culture of excellence at the Lions and the many quality players we produce is indicative of our world-class facilities and coaches,” Bavuma said.

The Lions have set a target of winning their third successive four-day title, which is unprecedented since unity and was last achieved by the Transvaal Mean Machine between 1982/3 and 1984/85. Bavuma said any trophies won this season would be the products of sticking to their brand of cricket.

“Our goal is to retain the title again, because three-in-a-row has never been done. There are only seven games, so we need momentum early on, so our first priority is to get going against strong opposition in the Dolphins at home. We want to see everything done in preparation come to fruition, but not a lot needs to change, we just want to keep on playing aggressive and positive cricket.

“Our batting is quite stable and with our bowling, the challenge is going to be to get the combinations going because we have a couple of new faces. But our strategy will remain the same,” Bavuma said.