An agreement for the broadcast rights of the T20 Global League that was at the centre of former Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Haroon Lorgat's departure, will soon be concluded with SuperSport.
It has however required the mending of fences with the pay channel, according to CSA's acting CEO Thabang Moroe.
Sunday Times understands Lorgat's failure to secure the deal was at the heart of the former CEO and CSA parting ways.
Moroe said he will be meeting with SuperSport to iron out differences over thebroadcasting rights for the tournament that starts on November 3.
"SuperSport will be coming on board for the tournament and hopefully we'll be able to announce that this week. They are happy to come on board now and it's just a matter of fixing a few granular details," Moroe said.
"They had to come at an extra cost because you can imagine how late it is now. We need to help them absorb some costs to help them get going. We both realise we need to get going and the question is how best we work together. It's not going to be a win for CSA and a loss for SuperSport. We have to share the wins and the losses as well."
Transparency questioned
It also emerged through another source that Lorgat's lack of transparency regarding the league rubbed up franchise owners, the board and SuperSport the wrong way.
"The TV rights issue would have been one of the most important issues," another source said. "I know that would have been absolutely critical to the success of the tournament. It will determine whether your franchise owners are going to make money or make losses.
"The other issue is information, or the lack thereof made available to the board."His relationship with Nassai Appiah (CSA's chief financial officer) also played a role, although not the main role."
His relationship with Appiah, a former KPMG employee who arrived at CSA when Gerald Majola was still ruling the roost, deteriorated significantly.
Appiah was reportedly excluded from important structures and decisions concerning the establishment of the T20GL.
Despite the fact that Lorgat, who was the driving force behind the T20GL, is no longer there, Pretoria Mavericks majority owner Hiren Bhanu is confident CSA will deliver a quality tournament.
"This is CSA's problem and where the franchises are concerned, we signed up with CSA and our confidence is with the board. It doesn't really matter who is the CEO," Bhanu said. He added the Mavericks have again postponed their launch, which was going to take place on Tuesday.
"There have been delays, but these things happen. The IPL broadcasting deal was also signed at a late stage. There are going to be stumbling blocks, but Mr Lorgat did a good job in getting things set up."
The identity of Lorgat's permanent replacement is going to become a hot topic.
Moroe, CSA's vice-president, has been parachuted in as acting CEO and it is a role to which he has seemingly warmed. CSA's board may feel they don't have to conduct an exhaustive search for a new CEO and may opt to extend his stint.
That however, would throw up questions around corporate governance, a pursuit in which CSA and its affiliates rarely excel...