With Lorgat out of the way, India to play 2 Tests, 3 ODIs in South Africa

India39s tour of South Africa will go ahead officials announced Tuesday but Cricket South Africa CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat has been quotwithdrawnquot from Indiarelated matters A joint statement issued by CSA and the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI said their sides will now play two Tests and three oneday internationals although the dates and venues have still to be announced The tour that had been in limbo ever since July after CSA unilaterally released its itinerary a move which miffed the BCCI The Indian Board was also not too happy with Lorgat39s appointment as CEO The BCCI39s uneasiness with Lorgat stemmed from the somewhat frosty relationship that the BCCI shared with him during his stint as the International Cricket Council ICC CEO due to their differences over a number of issuesu00a0 Haroon Lorgat Matters came to a head recently when CSA39s former legal adviser David Becker allegedly at the behest of Lorgat accused BCCI President N Srinivasan of being manipulative Becker had accused the BCCI cricket39s wealthiest national board and one on which other countries depend for finance as a result of lucrative broadcast income arising from India tours of breaching rules regarding the ICC39s Future Tours Programme The BCCICSA statement said the ICC has now decided to investigate the matter including Lorgat39s reported role even though Becker has maintained that the views expressed were completely his own The joint statement from both the boards which followed discussions between the two boards during the recent ICC meeting in London said Lorgat would have a reduced role in CSA39s dealings with the BCCI and would stand down from the ICC39s chief executives39 committee while the global governing body quotinvestigatedquot his conduct Furthermore quotthe findings and recommendationsquot of the ICC investigation will be quotbindingquot upon CSA the statement said quotThe agreement to tour was concluded by the two boards after various concerns were raised around the recent ICC board meeting in London about the alleged conduct of CSA39s chief executive Mr Haroon Lorgat and recent comments made about the ICC Board by a former legal advisor to CSA Mr David Beckerquot the joint statement added quotThe ICC and CSA have already refuted the comments made by Mr Becker and the ICC is now considering its legal options in respect of the same quotIn addition the ICC will convene an investigation by an independent third party to be appointed by the ICC into the content and distribution of the media comments subsequent attempts to have them withdrawn and in particular the role of Mr Lorgat in relation to these matters quotPending the outcome of this investigation CSA has ordered the withdrawal of Mr Lorgat from representing it at the ICC39s Chief Executive39s Committee or from acting in any other ICCrelated matters and CSA has also withdrawn him from having involvement in any aspect of CSA39s relationship with the BCCI including but not limited to the upcoming tour Becker in a statement published by South Africa39s Business Day newspaper on October 10 slammed BCCI president Narayanaswami Srinivasan39s influence on world cricket quotThere is one man Srinivasan who makes decisions at ICC board level and they are certainly not in the interests of world cricketquot Becker said quotIt39s not only hugely concerning for the game it39s contrary to the regulatory framework within which ICC operates and hence illegalquot Becker later insisted Lorgat and CSA had quotnothing to do with my commentsquot Earlier this month India39s Supreme Court reinstated Srinivasan as the country39s cricket chief but ordered him to stay away from a fresh inquiry into alleged spotfixing in the Indian Premier League India39s tour had been scheduled to start on November 18 and was due to include three Test matches seven oneday internationals and two Twenty20 internationals But doubts about that schedule emerged when the BCCI announced arrangements for an incoming tour by the West Indies and a tour of New Zealand which clash with the beginning and end of the fixtures published by CSA The twoTest series against the West Indies is set to see India national hero Sachin Tendulkar the highest runscorer in Test history play his 200th and final Test before retirementu00a0