The South African Cricketers’ Association (Saca) is considering taking legal action against Cricket South Africa (CSA).

CSA announced last month that they would be dropping the franchise system by 2021 and replacing it with the original 12 province system. The CSA board denied that they were in financial trouble and stated that their losses would drop from R650-million to around R200-million.

Saca have publicly shared their concerns over CSA’s financial stability and the changes that would inevitably follow.

‘Our lawyers have made it clear to CSA that its failure to comply with our agreements may well lead to legal action,’ said Saca chief executive Tony Irish in a press statement on Friday.

‘At the same time, we are open to finding responsible solutions to the financial challenges facing cricket, and to ensuring the best outcomes from a cricketing point of view. We have invited CSA to engage in mediation on the issues. If CSA fails to comply and does not accept our invitation to mediate, Saca will be compelled to take the legal route.’

Saca president Omphile Ramela also commented on the matter. 

‘We reiterate our concerns around the financial position, and around a decision which has significant consequences both for the game and the players, taken without regard to our agreements and without following the consultation process specifically provided for in our recognition agreement,’ he said. 

‘Saca cares about the financial sustainability of the game, and this is not only about what happens next year, but also about the years to come. Our concerns relating to this have simply been ignored by CSA.

‘We also care about ensuring the best possible domestic structure for the players and the game, and believe that this should be the subject of proper consultation and agreement, instead of there being a decision that will have significant consequences forced on us and the players.’

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