South Africa CEO sacked for taking hidden bonuses

Gerald Majola has been sacked by Cricket South Africa (Getty Images)

Gerald Majola, the suspended chief executive of Cricket South Africa, has been dismissed for concealing bonus payments made to himself and staff three years ago.

The CSA disciplinary chairman, Karel Tip, found Majola guilty of all nine charges against him following a hearing that Majola refused to attend. Majola, suspended since March, was sacked "with immediate effect," the CSA said in a statement yesterday.

He was found guilty of receiving and failing to disclose bonuses from South Africa's hosting of the 2009 Indian Premier League, and misusing his travel allowance. Majola paid 4.7m rand (£340,000) in bonuses to CSA staff without approval, and paying himself 1.7m rand (£123,000).

"While acting as CEO for CSA and in the context of a contract that he had concluded on behalf of CSA, Mr Majola negotiated large bonuses for himself and [former CSA chief operating officer] Don McIntosh, as well as lesser bonuses for the CSA staff," Tip wrote.

"In so doing, he wittingly placed himself in a situation that constituted a manifest conflict of interest.

"Mr Majola failed to disclose the bonus when he had a clear and ongoing duty to do so. Even worse, Mr Majola expressly lied about it, vowing more than once that he 'had not received a cent.'"

Tip added that Majola had brought disruption and division within South African cricket, and tarnished CSA and the sport. Majola withdrew last week from the hearing, questioning its legitimacy.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has fined all-rounder Abdul Razzaq 100,000 rupees (£655) for criticising captain Mohammad Hafeez during the World Twenty20.

PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said Razzaq had apologised to Hafeez for his comments and accepted the penalty.

Razzaq blamed Hafeez for his exclusion from the side for the semi-final against Sri Lanka earlier this month, a game Pakistan lost to the hosts by 16 runs.

The PCB cited the all-rounder last week when he arrived home. Razzaq and Hafeez met with PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf in Lahore yesterday after which Sarwar announced the board's decision.

Hafeez said it was the team management's decision to drop Razzaq for the semi-final, in which Pakistan were knocked out when they failed to chase down Sri Lanka's total of 140.

* Glen Chapple will retain the captaincy at Lancashire for a fifth season next year. Chapple took on the role in 2009 with the highlight of his spell in charge being their title triumph in 2011. They were, however, relegated last term and will play in the SEcond Division next season.