Former ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Monday he was “saddened” by what he called his “poor relationship” with India’s cricket board, a situation that led to the powerful BCCI even expressing its opposition to him leading South African cricket.
Despite India’s concerns, Lorgat was appointed Cricket South Africa’s new chief executive officer on Saturday, with CSA insisting its own issues took priority.
“We will take decisions guided by what the interests of CSA are,” CSA President Chris Nenzani said at a news conference on Monday to officially welcome Lorgat to the role.
Like Nenzani, Lorgat also dealt with a barrage of questions at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg about his problems with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, and conceded “I didn’t expect such a poor relationship to have emanated after I left the ICC.”
The former head of the International Cricket Council said he was still not sure what the BCCI’s problems with him were, but he wanted to smooth them over. “I will do my level best to understand what the issues are with those who are not happy with whatever it is with myself,” Lorgat said. “If I need to sit across the table, go to India, whatever it takes, I have to say that Cricket South Africa comes first.
“If it means that I have wronged somebody and I need to apologise, I will do so. I will have no hesitation to do so.”
Nenzani confirmed that the BCCI did not want Lorgat appointed to lead CSA, as has been widely reported in South Africa and India over the last few months.
“We had an opportunity to talk to the Indian president, the president of the BCCI. They raised certain concerns about the possible appointment of Mr. Lorgat as our CEO,” Nenzani said of the February meeting. “We made it clear to them, we said we would not undermine your concerns, we would not ignore your concerns, but we will be in a position to look into this matter and see how best the interests of CSA are addressed.”