SA board to be restructured next month

Cricket South Africa is set for a structural overhaul at a meeting on February 19, the board's chief executive Gerald Majola has said. Majola was speaking at a press conference on Wednesday following the resignation of coach Mickey Arthur and the sacking of the selection panel.

The interim selection committee, which will replace the one led by Mike Procter, comprises Majola, high performance manager Corrie van Zyl, who has also been appointed as interim coach, and former captain Kepler Wessels, who will also be the team's batting consultant.

"Cricket South Africa is looking at the entire structure the team operates under and there are still consultations going on," Majola said. "Some of these are about selection too and the whole process by which the team is selected.

"In the last few years, the coach has been able to appoint his own staff, but after speaking to the players, the board felt changes were necessary. Mickey did not believe that if these changes were made, he'd be able to choose his own people, so he moved on."

Arthur, who resigned as South Africa coach on Tuesday, said he made the decision because his vision for the national team differed with that of CSA.

"It was clear that the vision I had and Cricket South Africa's vision are different. I am disappointed, because when I started there I said I wanted to get South Africa to No. 1 in both forms of the game, I wanted to be the first South African coach to win in England, and the first to win in Australia," Arthur said. "The only thing I didn't achieve was an ICC trophy."

"We believe as a board that Mickey has been very successful," Majola said. "His resignation came through the normal stock-taking process which followed the England home series and against the backdrop of the disappointing results of 2009. As this process unfolded and remedies were sought, Mickey expressed the very honest and humble view that he did not believe that at this stage he could continue as coach of the Proteas.

"In the circumstances, he tendered his resignation and it is with much regret that the CSA Board accepted it. We have accepted Mickey's view that a change at the coaching helm is needed, and we have made this as seamless as possible by bringing in on a caretaker basis the considerable expertise of Corrie van Zyl, who is doing outstanding work as CSA's High Performance Coach."

Arthur said he was going to bide his time before taking on another assignment. "I'm not going to be jumping into anything too soon and I might dabble into a few other things and see where that takes me. I think I will consider anything that comes down the line. I will sit and wait for the right opportunity and the best opportunity where I can make an impact."

Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, said of Arthur: "The two of us have had a great partnership over five years, we had a good relationship, Mickey was integral in bringing a lot of calm to the team. Yesterday was a very tough day for us."

"I think its natural for the players to have some emotion now, Mickey has been part of our life for five years. The players will try and be as professional as possible. We know this [India] is an important tour."

Arthur's resignation came four days before South Africa are scheduled to depart for India and Van Zyl will now be in charge of the team for that assignment. "It's not the ideal situation to take over now, but I have worked with Mickey before," van Zyl said. "I had been focusing on the high performance centre till Monday, but I will meet with the captain in Cape Town tomorrow to prepare for India."