CSA president insists Proteas board did not 'sell out' to 'Big Three' over ICC 'control' decision

Cricket South Africa (CSA) president Chris Nenzani has said that the board did not 'sell out' to the 'Big Three'-India, Australia and England, over the decision to allow the trio to effectively take control of the sport.

CSA originally stood alongside Sri Lanka and Pakistan in opposition to what was widely viewed as a hijacking of the sport by the Big Three before making a U-turn and voting in favour of the ICC proposal in Singapore at the weekend.

According to Sport24, Nenzani insisted that they did not leave the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) hanging, adding that he met them before the meeting in Singapore and explained to them South Africa's position.

Dismissing the perception that CSA changed their vote at the last minute, Nenzani also said that he exercised the voting position handed to him as a mandate by the CSA board, adding that CSA changed its stance after 'significant improvements' were made to the proposal by the Big Three and denied any deals were struck to gain its vote.

According to Nenzani, the new proposal states that there will be elections for the positions of the chairmanship of the ICC, finance and commercial affairs committee and the new executive committee involving all member countries after 2016.

Stating that South Africa has also been included in the Test cricket fund that helps boards finance incoming tours, Nenzani, however, admitted that it was 'not ideal' the ICC governing authority had given more power to the three wealthiest nations.

Nenzani further said that handing more control and financial muscle to their main rivals, on the pitch and in terms of revenue generation, has in part been forced on the other seven Test-playing nations.