SA board appoints first black managing director

Gerald Majola, who publicly criticized the previous president of the United Cricket Board of South Africa for his attitude toward integrating the federation, will become the organization's first black managing director, the board announced on Thursday.

Majola will assume the managing director's job from Ali Bacher in January, UCBSA president Percy Sonn told a news conference.

Bacher, who announced in January that he would step down July 1 and predicted his successor would be black, will take over preparations for the 2003 World Cup, scheduled to be staged in South Africa.

Sonn said a private personnel search company was employed to find Bacher's successor several months ago. The board on Wednesday unanimously endorsed Majola's appointment, he added.

Majola, 41, a member of the board's general council and a national selector, said he was honoured to accept the position.

"I hope I will do well to emulate the incumbent Ali Bacher," he said. "I am well aware of the challenges especially to restore the image of cricket ... millions in South Africa want to see this game transformed."

Majola was one of several black sports leaders who criticized former UCBSA president Raymond White, who resigned in January, saying he was "retarding the transformation process."

Majola takes over the organization mired in a bribery-corruption scandal, touched off in April by an investigation by Indian authorities, who claimed to have tape recordings of then South African captain Hansie Cronje discussing payoffs with a bookmaker.

Mail Cricket Editor