Nyoka 'victim of smear'

Ousted Cricket SA president Mtutuzeli Nyoka claims he is the victim of a smear campaign by people who want him out of cricket.

Nyoka got the boot at a special meeting of the organisation in Johannesburg this month.

He did not attend the meeting on the advice of his lawyers because most of the presidents of Cricket SA's affiliates were known to supported the motion of no-confidence against him.

The CSA gave no reasons for the motion, but Nyoka said this week that the board's actions were clearly motivated by his opposition to irregular procedures by board members.

He said it was his principled stand on undisclosed bonuses - and opposition by certain board members to an external inquiry into financial irregularities relating to payments to Cricket SA CEO Gerald Majola and other staff after the Indian Premier League competition in 2009 - that led to the motion.

"To be honest, I have been in cricket for 13 years and I know how these things work," he said.

"I realised a long time ago what could possibly happen when you take a principled stand on good governance," said Nyoka.

"But you must follow the dictates of your conscience when it tells you to stay with the truth."

Nyoka said he "saw this coming" a long time ago.

"I knew what I would be facing last year and that my days were numbered. When it happened, it did not come as a surprise."

He said that when he took the position of president of CSA he thought he was working for cricket and not to be a "puppet of certain people".

"You anticipate these things before they destroy you. Am I disappointed? Yes and no. Yes because I cannot work for cricket." said Nyoka.

Ray Mali, the administrator looking into the affairs of the troubled Gauteng Cricket Board, said he was not surprised at the turn of events.

"This is something that has been growing for the past six months. As someone outside cricket, I think the leadership are the best people to comment on that [Nyoka]."

"The signs were there that things were not going well. It is not for me to say if it [Nyoka's ousting] is justified or not. The board was attending to issues that were derailing cricket."