CSA asked Kenya to foot series bill

Cricket South Africa is understood to have demanded almost US$100,000 to play two one-day internationals against Kenya last month.

The news is a blow to leading Associates who are already struggling to arrange matches against Full Member countries and completely goes against the ICC's aim of the game's leading sides helping in the development of the game.

South Africa played Kenya twice at the end of 2008, and it is understood that a similar arrangement was discussed for two matches in South Africa in late October or early November.

However, Gerald Majola, the chairman of CSA, contacted Cricket Kenya with the demand and gave it three days to come back with an answer, even though that included a weekend. Although he was asked for more time to consider his proposal, Cricinfo has learned that arrangements were already in place for Zimbabwe to play the matches. It is not known whether Zimbabwe had to pay the same fee.

"The simple story is that Kenya wanted to play some games against South Africa, but CSA would have incurred costs to host those games, so we were prepared to meet them halfway on the costs," Majola told Cricinfo. "Unfortunately, they could not make up that amount, but there was no money paid out from Cricket Kenya whatsoever."

While the Kenyan board declined to comment, the fact that its total funding from the ICC is less than US$1 million a year, something known to CSA, means the request was never likely to be a serious option. As the Kenyans would also have paid for their flights and accommodation, had the games gone ahead then they could have accounted for up to 20% of the board's annual budget.

CSA needed to play matches to help fulfil its current broadcast contract. In the event, the two games against Zimbabwe were one-sided affairs played out in front of almost empty grounds.