RAM parts ways with CSA as domestic T20 sponsor

Cricket South Africa (CSA) and RAM Hand to Hand Couriers, the title sponsor of the national Twenty20 championship, have decided to part ways after their four-year association.

"With a new domestic T20 League within our sights, regrettably we were not able to agree on the option to extend our current relationship," Haroon Lorgat, CSA Chief Executive, said in a press statement on Friday (September 2). "Our initial agreement with RAM was for three years and we had last year agreed on a one-year extension which ended last season."

Having started in 2010, the tournament did change the face of T20 cricket within the country, but soon enough became another web for match fixers. In November, last year, CSA had admitted that there was an international syndicate attempting to fix matches and warned the players against it.

When Ghulam Bodi was charged on several counts of breaching the anti-corruption code and handed a 20-year ban in December, Alan da Costa, RAM's executive director had told Sports24, "No one ever wants their brand associated with any dishonest activities and we are seriously considering the outcome of the matter before renewing our sponsorship."

Earlier this year, four more players - Thami Tsolekile, Ethy Mbhalati, Jean Symes and Pumelela Matshikwe - were charged for "material discussions about match-fixing" and banned them.

However, CSA and RAM are still in negotiation to extend their partnership in other forms. Praising the role of their title sponsor in the success of South Africa's T20 competition, Lorgat added, "We've seen the competition grow impressively and I must commend RAM for the wonderful innovations they introduced every year. Their energy contributed to us having a great commercial partner and I wish to take this opportunity to thank them for their support of cricket"

The withdrawal of the title sponsor has only added to the woes of CSA, as the upcoming season of the T20 competition already faces problems due to an overlapping international schedule (the first half of the tournament overlaps with South Africa's tour of Australia) and the declining value of Rand.