The Members’ Council of SWD Cricket put a vote of confidence in the serving president and chairman of the Board, Rudi Claassen, when he was re-elected at the company’s AGM that was held in Oudtshoorn last week.
He will serve in his final term as president. The lead independent director, Warren Muller, was also re-elected whilst Ms. Chantall Botha-Sauer was elected in the vacancy of Financial and Commercial Director.
In his presidential address, Claassen highlighted the improvement in the Operational Incentive Scorecard results – an important barometer whereby performances are measured – as a significant positive step in the performances of the union.
He highlighted the inclusion of Jean du Plessis in the SA U/19 team that participated in the ICC U/19 World Cup in New Zealand during February this year. Other notable individual achievements were the selection of Jaco Janse van Rensburg in the CSA Franchise Colts team, Brian Jack’s selection for the Cobras Cubs, the representation of Gurshwin Rabie (as coach) Todd Walker, Bailey Aarons and Athinkosi Kwitshana for the Cobras Colts and Annerie Dercksen who was selected for the CSA Girls U/19 Fillies team (a team that was selected upon conclusion of the CSA Girls U/19 National week). The head coach of the SWD Cricket Regional Performance Centre (RPC), Elridge Booysen, was honored for his excellent work when he received the Pitchvision RPC and Hub Coach award at the annual Cricket South Africa Breakfast Award function that was held at the Isando Club in Johannesburg.
Upon completion of the 2017/18 season, the Board of Directors resolved that the club structure of SWD Cricket needs to be revised and the revised structure was approved at the meeting. This drive was necessitated by the Return on Investment for funds allocated to clubs, the slow progress for clubs to reach blue flag status that was linked to the club quality index.
The implementation process of the Cricket South Africa Cricket Services Strategy for 2020 with the aim to create strong foundations for our cricket structures going forward of which the staffing of the CSA Coaching Framework was a significant step in the right direction.
The emergence of André Olivier as an umpire who officiated in the final match at the Coca Cola Khaya Majola week as well as at the Momemtum National Club Championships also deserves recognition. SWD Cricket also successfully presented the CSA Franchise Academies Week in January 2018 and hosted a well-organized Momentum U/13 National Week in December 2017.
“ SWD Cricket also concluded an extended and favorable lease agreement with the Oudtshoorn Municipality for a period of nine years and eleven months. This is an important milestone to secure funding for stadium infrastructure development”, he said. “Transformation will remain a key strategic focus in the province and the matters that arose from the Annual CSA Transformation Indaba that was held in Kwa-Maritane Game Lodge in April 2018 will be high on the agenda in 2018/19”.
