Graeme Smith to become South Africa's director of cricket as crisis goes on

Former Test captain Graeme Smith is set to become Cricket South Africa's director of cricket, according to CSA president Chris Nenzani, but South African cricket's crisis continued, with Nenzani and his remaining board members refusing to heed calls to resign. Tony Irish, chief executive of SA Cricketers Association (SACA), which called on Friday for Nenzani and entire board to resign, said in a tweet: "Appalled that president and board of CSA have taken responsibility for cricket's biggest crisis. w clinging to power."  Asked for clarification, Irish described his tweet as "my initial reaction." He said SACA was likely to make a detailed response on Sunday or Monday. Nenzani said that he had spoken to Smith on Saturday morning.

"I am happy to anunce that we have engd Graeme Smith and I am confirming that by next week Wednesday all of negotiations around contract terms that need to take place would have been concluded," said Nenzani, speaking after a special board meeting of CSA, following a week of crisis for organisation.

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If Smith does agree to take job he will have just over two weeks to put a selection panel and coaching staff in place before first of four Tests against England, starting in Centurion on December 26. Despite calls for ir resignation, Nenzani said board had been mandated by organization's members' council -- made up of presidents of 14 provincial affiliates -- "to continue to guide us through this period and turn it around". Saturday's press conference came after a tumultuous week during which five leading journalists had ir accreditation withdrawn, a major sponsor anunced it would t renew its agreement with CSA and chief executive Thabang Moroe was suspended on charges of misconduct.

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Nenzani said a lack of trust in Moroe by Smith was a factor in negotiations that have been conducted sporadically over a period of three months. Several prominent individuals, as well as Gauteng cricket board and SACA, called for board to resign. However, Nenzani said issue had t been raised at a meeting of members' council in a meeting which started on Friday evening and continued until early hours of Saturday.

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He brushed off resignations of three of board's five independent directors. "We thank m for ir service and will eng in a process to fill vacancies," he said. Nenzani said respected Jacques Faul, chief executive of rrns cricket union and a former acting chief executive of CSA, had agreed to again become acting chief executive with immediate effect.

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