New Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief Haroon Lorgat has said that he is willing to apologise to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) if necessary, although he added that he does not know how he managed to offend the powerful cricket body.
According to Sport24, Lorgat was named as the cricket body's chief executive on Saturday after getting a positive nod from BCCI, which previously had indicated that they would not be happy with his appointment as he was said to have upset the powerhouse of international cricket during his tenure as ICC chief.
Stating that he was willing to say sorry to BCCI if needed, Lorgat said that India is an important stakeholder in cricket, adding that from a personal perspective, he does not like to be out of favour with someone who was once his friend.
According to Lorgat, he will try his best to find out and understand the cause behind the alleged offence committed by him, adding that he did what he thought was best for the game.
Stating that he had let the independent ethics officer in ICC deal with the BCCI complaint, Lorgat also said that he was aware that he must pay the price if the issue was one where he had overstepped or did not do right, adding that he was fortunate that the ethics officer dismissed the allegations.
However, Lorgat said that he believed that an unhealthy situation is created if one party held too much control, adding that the focus should be placed on uplifting the less influential organisations in the game.
But, Lorgat said that instead of begrudging strong parties, it is necessary to worry about and look after the weaker ones and find ways and strategies for them to improve, adding that even for CSA, there cannot be a dependence mentality.
Lorgat further said that the parties which are not as strong as the BCCI should aspire to be as strong as them, and thanked interim chief executives Jacques Faul and Nassei Appiah for giving 'sterling services' during a challenging period, adding that he is starting afresh and will be as transparent as he can while maintaining the relationship with the media and the public.
Lorgat's three-year tenure is effective from August 1, the report added.
