Gauteng seeks arbitration to resolve dispute

Cricket South Africa's (CSA) board of directors will meet on Thursday regarding the dispute with the Gauteng Cricket Board (GCB) over the stripping of the Wanderers' international status.

Last Friday, CSA had agreed to Gauteng's request for mediation and had asked the sports ministry to intervene. However, CSA president Mtutuzeli Nyoka said the GCB had now rejected the mediation agreement, and wanted the impasse to be resolved through an arbitrator.

"CSA received a letter from GCB's CEO which in essence rejected our acceptance of an offer for mediation, as well as the Ministerial intervention," Nyoka said. "Further, GCB went ahead with its own unilateral deadline of July 24, 2009 and sent an arbitration application the day before this. GCB's intentions to resolve this matter are doubtful."

The tussle started when the GCB accused the CSA chief executive Gerald Majola, the BCCI and IPL organisers of mismanaging the 2009 event soon after the league ended. In response, the CSA members forum warned that the South African board would not allot any international matches to Wanderers unless GCB apologised.

If the issue is not resolved, Wanderers could lose out on three matches during England's tour to South Africa in November-December.