JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa will bid to host the 2027 men’s ICC World Cup, acting president Rihan Richards said on Friday.

Richards made the announcement at a press conference at which details of a new governance model for CSA were revealed following months of wrangling.

He said agreement on the composition of a new board, with a majority of independent directors, would enable CSA to put the focus firmly back on cricket matters.

Richards said South Africa will take part in a bidding process for International Cricket Council (ICC) events over a new eight-year cycle. Bidding is expected to open within the next few months.

“We will be bidding for both men’s and women’s World Cups, an Under-19 World Cup and a T20 World Cup,” said Richards.

“But our focus will be on the 2027 men’s World Cup. We believe it is an ideal opportunity as it will be 24 years since we last hosted it.”

South Africa staged the 2003 men’s World Cup and the 2005 women’s World Cup as well as the inaugural 2007 World T20 and the 2009 Champions Trophy. It also has staged two Under-19 tournaments.

Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa earlier announced he would no longer be withdrawing government recognition of CSA, which he threatened last week after the failure of the members’ council, headed by Richards, to reach agreement with an interim board on a governance structure.

Mthethwa attended Friday’s conference and said he would now move aside after a process which he said was “between life and death in cricket”.

Interim board chairman Stavros Nicolaou said a target date of June 12 had been set for an annual general meeting -- postponed from last October -- at which a 15-member board would be installed, with eight independent directors and five nominated by the members’ council as well as the chief executive and chief financial officer of CSA.

There will be an independent chairman.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2021