Cordial relationship with the Indian board is new South Africa chief's top priority
Cricket South Africa may not have acceded to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s wish of not appointing Haroon Lorgat as their Chief Executive Officer.
Haroon Lorgat
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But now that they have gone ahead and put the former ICC CEO at the helm of their affairs, they are keen to mend fences with their Indian counterpart.
Lorgat who clashed with the BCCI over issues ranging from Future Tours Programme to Decision Review System during his time in the ICC, said he is willing to go the extra mile to improve relations with India and added he was ready to apologise if needed.
“I am saddened by these inferences and I did not expect such a poor relationship to have formed. I don’t like to be out of favour with someone I thought was a friend. I will do my best to understand the concerns,” Lorgat was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.com.
“If I need to sit across a table, to go to India, whatever it takes to smooth things over, I have to put CSA first. When the issues come out, if it means I have offended someone and I need to apologise, I will,” he added.
Lorgat is keen on putting an end to the bad blood that had developed between the Indian and South African boards. “We have to respect India and it’s up to me to fix up anything that needs patching,” he said.
Asked if he thought the BCCI used its financial clout to exert its will, Lorgat said, “I think in anything too much dominance of one person is not good. But I also think we should not begrudge strong people. We should aspire to be as strong as they are.”
Lorgat is also seeking to restore the image of CSA, which has taken a beating following the IPL-2 bonus scandal that led to the sacking of former CSA president Gerald Majola. “What’s happened in the past was not what anybody wanted to see. I am confident the reputation will improve.”u00a0
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