As a baby, he liked watching and taking part in the sport, and as an grownup he’s attempting to restore the sport he loves to the place it belongs.
Just over a 12 months into his tenure as chairperson of the Board of Directors at Cricket South Africa (CSA), Lawson Naidoo is a person at the forefront of a mission.
This mission entails restoring South African cricket to the pinnacle of the world sport.
Naidoo has robust pedigree to fulfil his goal. He might not have performed cricket at knowledgeable degree, however his ardour for the sport has all the time been unbounded, whether or not it was in administration, taking part in or just spectating. Involvement in cricket has been prevalent for 50 years of his life.
He is the founding member and captain of the Spin Doctors Cricket Club, a crew established in 1998 and which performs underneath the auspices of the Friendly Cricketers Association in Cape Town.
Naidoo has additionally written about cricket in South Africa, having been a columnist for The Wisden Cricketer in the mid-2000s.
Rewind greater than 50 years and he takes us again to his first reminiscences of the sport as a younger boy.
“My first memories of cricket are from being at the 1969/70 Test match when South Africa played Australia at Kingsmead in Durban,” he recollects. “I used to be very younger then, simply six or seven, nevertheless it began a lifelong affinity for the sport.
“So it was from there where it all started, I loved the game and watched it and played it.”
Pedigreed CV
Naidoo is now a outstanding civil society activist and chief, who boasts a CV full of pedigree.
He has over 30 years’ expertise in the political, parliamentary, company and non-governmental sectors. He holds a Masters’ diploma in regulation from the University of Cambridge.
Naidoo was the founding companion for The Paternoster Group: African Political Insight since 2015, and is a trustee for Momentum Health Medical Scheme and chairman of its Governance and Remuneration Committee.
Naidoo has additionally efficiently led one of the nation’s foremost non-governmental organisations – the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac) – for the previous 12 years. He has been a key determine for Casac in advocating for adherence to constitutional values and ideas, particularly accountability, transparency and respect for the rule of regulation, that are qualities clearly wanted by CSA.
Among some of his different accomplishments, the CSA Board chairperson has labored in numerous sectors and served at the ANC mission in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the late Eighties and early 90s.
“Even when I was out of the country, my passion for cricket never waned,” he says. “I followed the game, played it and remained an avid follower right through.”
Now that Naidoo has been introduced into the boardroom of the highest cricket authority in the land, he desires to make an actual distinction.
“My hopes and dreams are to strengthen the foundations for cricket in South Africa,” he continued. “I need to assist make it a sustainable sport, broaden and deepen its foundations, and to appeal to new gamers, followers and sponsors.
Also learn: Money talks! – CSA & SuperSport simply couldn’t say no to IPL’s thousands and thousands
“We need to grow the game and make sure that South African cricket can be globally competitive once again.”
Naidoo, who additionally now represents CSA at the International Cricket Council (ICC), firmly believes that South African cricket can obtain the success it wishes.
“Our cricket belongs at the very top of the international game,” he added. “We definitely have the expertise, we’ve got the infrastructure and the programs in place.
“As a board we need to make sure that all of those foundations are strong enough so that the players can focus on the game and ensure success on the field,” Naidoo stated.
Also learn: After Smith debacle, new CSA board have one other sizzling situation to deal with
