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Cape Town - Former Proteas spinner Pat Symcox says Jacques Faul and Graeme Smith may have bitten off more they can chew by accepting roles at Cricket South Africa (CSA).
"I think it's actually a bit of a stupid decision by Jacques and Graeme to get involved with the current set-up," Symcox said in an interview with Netwerk24.
Symcox's comments come after the CSA top hierarchy underwent changes over the weekend, with Titans boss Faul named acting CEO in place of the suspended Thabang Moroe.
Former Proteas wicketkeeper and ICC CEO David Richardson is likely to assist Faul in the role, with CSA also confirming that Smith, a former Proteas captain, was set to be named director of cricket.
But Symcox is wary of being over-optimistic about the proposed changes.
"It's a strategy from the executive council to try give itself more credibility. In this scenario it's like trying to move the deck chairs on the Titanic.
"Will Jacques Faul, Dave Richardson and Graeme Smith have the authority to make their own decisions? I definitely don't think so, because I believe they will have the board still calling the shots.
"Therefore, I think it's very stupid from Faul and Smith to accept the roles. All that they're doing now is giving more credibility to a process that is riddled with useless people (the CSA board). The board should be able to add value in the process, but those clowns can't even run the cafe on the corner," Symcox stressed.
At a press conference in Johannesburg over the weekend, CSA president Chris Nenzani confirmed that the entire board would remain and that Moroe was held accountable for the governance crisis.
"The board is not complicit in terms of decision-making. The board took decisions and those decisions had to be implemented by the CEO and his management," Nenzani said.
However Symcox, who played 20 Tests and 80 one-day internationals in the 1990s, believes the board should also be held accountable for the CSA woes.
"They have the audacity to go on as if nothing happened and that they are innocent in the whole process. It's a sick situation."
In recent times, Symcox has expressed strong views on the governance of cricket in South Africa.
Earlier this year, in the aftermath of Proteas' 2019 Cricket World Cup disaster, he told Sport24 that radical change was needed at top level management - READ the full story here.
- Compiled by Herman Mostert
