PORT ELIZABETH - MARK WILLIAMS APPOINTED NEW CEO OF EASTERN PROVINCE CRICKET

Top Eastern Cape administrator, Mark Williams, has been appointed the new CEO of Eastern Province Cricket. He takes over from Jesse Chellan who will take up a role with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Chellan was CEO of the union for 18 months and has brought stability to the union which faced financial woes and a shortage of sponsorship.

The Port Elizabeth-born Williams is not new to cricket. He was an Independent Director of EP cricket assisting the board with operations and governance. He also has a good business background and experience at executive level in the banking industry.

Williams is now entrusted with the task of reviving the sleeping giants of South African cricket.

“My involvement as an Independent Director has been to assist the board with restructuring of Eastern Province Cricket both from a governance perspective and financial perspective and of course, operationally. This has led the platform for Chellan to come in and do the administration.”
The union, which was on the verge of bankruptcy incurred a loss of about R3 million, two years ago.

But the situation has now reversed with a profit of R2.5 million for the past financial year and it's no wonder they scooped Cricket South Africa's most improved affiliate award.

" I still have to find out the clear details of exactly what I will be doing."

Williams says, “The platform is well established and over the last three years, we have turned the business around. We rely heavily on sponsorships. So, we need to retain them and show that we are implementing good governance. We are striving for excellence on the field and excellence in the administration.”

Outgoing CEO, Jesse Chellan, says he is looking forward to his ICC job.

“I will be based in Johannesburg. I will be responsible for 20 African countries outside of South Africa and Zimbabwe. So, I will be overseeing African cricket on behalf of the ICC. I still have to find out the clear details of exactly what I will be doing. I am going to meet my superiors next week in Dubai.”

EP cricket will also host three international games, of which two are test-matches, this season.

VIA - sabc.co.za