The Lions Cricket CEO has been in the job a little over three years, with the majority of that time dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on sport and the organisations that run sport. So, what’s that been like?
Q. What do you feel you’ve achieved in your three years as CEO?
A: I’d like to believe that we’ve driven home a culture of excellence and high performance, and a care and genuine love for the brand. Having gone through the domestic restructure, amongst other things, we have done a total rebrand and restructure of Lions Cricket. We are proud of ranking number one in our bid submission for the domestic restructure with CSA – a process that was fully audited by the CSA auditors – and to come out in first place is something we are extremely proud of. We navigated the Covid years – three years since the last time we sold tickets for an international fixture – which was a massive challenge. Lions Cricket is in a stronger position now, post-Covid, than it was prior. The multi-purposing and redesigning of the stadium means that we now ‘sweat our assets’ better than ever before. The DP World Wanderers is no longer a cricket stadium, but more a stadium that cricket is played in. It’s also an incredible achievement that Lions Cricket kept club and schools cricket going, despite the tough times. Keeping the people of our communities close to us and producing great people off the field, as well as on, is a key goal of mine and our union.
Q. How would you describe the state of franchise cricket in South Africa?
A: Lions Cricket was very involved in the domestic restructure with CSA, SACA and other unions, and I believe that cricket is in a stronger position now, given the Division One and Division Two split. We are looking at ways to have more domestic cricket, especially in the ‘home and away’ type of competitions – as opposed to just single rounds currently being played. CSA and the unions will look at that collectively in the seasons ahead. We have incredible talent and depth, as well as solid pipelines. There are some extremely strong players coming through across the country and I believe that cricket in SA is in a good space.
Q: What are your thoughts on the upcoming SA20 and what it will mean for local cricket?
A: I believe that this will be great for SA cricket, with significant investment from international partners, as well as a significant sharing of knowledge and top skills. I think it’s terrific that SuperSport as the broadcaster was onboard from the beginning and the relevant shareholders too. I think, what’s going to be key, is what kind of local talent is brought in – from a transformational point of view – and we need to stay focused on that in order to ensure that the game is for the people and what we stand for. I do think that there is work to be done in that space, but I think it’s a great opportunity for our local players to be showcased on a global stage and we’ll be able to retain more top talent. I want Lions Cricket to be partners with the Johannesburg Super Kings on this journey – not just the landlord and a stadium they play out of. I want us to grow a strong franchise with them, that will indeed help the Lions eco-system on all fronts.
Q: What sort of match-day experience will you be laying on at DP World Wanderers for Johannesburg Super Kings fans?
A: If we blend the 5G smart stadium with smart solutions and a fan-centric approach, then I really feel that it will be an elevated experience from the minute you walk into our stadium. The Joburg Super Kings will bring with them the pizazz, fun and colour, and we’ll make sure that every fan has a great experience while watching them.
Q: Can you describe the relationship between Lions Cricket and the owners of the Johannesburg Super Kings, and how the two parties will work together?
A: We are really working well together. I knew some of the Super Kings crew from my Royal Challengers Bangalore days, so we have rekindled some of our friendships, for sure. They are a great bunch of guys and the fact that they backed Wandile Gwavu as Assistant Coach and Nandile Tyali as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach is fantastic for us and goes a long way in terms of shared learnings. They are a team that listens and has Joburg and Lions Cricket at heart. I personally am so excited to work with the guys – they have incredible institutional knowledge and are probably the biggest global cricket team (in terms of social media and a digital point of view, trophies etc). The exco and staff are aligned with us in terms of how we want to grow cricket in Joburg, so it really is exciting times.
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Q: How would you describe the commercial state of Lions Cricket currently?
A: Lions Cricket declared its first net profit since 2017 and is in a very strong cash position – probably the strongest in many years. In fact, it is stronger today than pre-Covid. The stadium has 500–600 people that visit it on a daily basis, with a yoga studio, BRM retail corner, the Wanderers Sports Medical Centre, the sports shop and 40-odd tenants that use the stadium on a daily basis. So, it’s a living, breathing stadium now, a wellness destination, a sporting destination, and an entertainment destination. It’s an exciting time for Lions Cricket and our stadium that sits in the golden triangle of retail in Africa.
Q: How important is DP World Wanderers to that commercial state and have you been able to effectively ‘sweat that asset’ in the past three years?
A: It’s critical. It really is our asset that we can sweat and host events, concerts, weddings, exhibitions, and live sport. A little bit of inside info here – there may be a very exciting tennis exhibition match played in December! This asset allows us to make money for Lions Cricket, which we can drive back into developing the game at grassroots level, at clubs and schools. It’s critical for us to grow revenue and drive profit, so that we can continue to grow the game in all aspects of Lions Cricket.
Q: Please unpack why the recently-announced partnership with Telkom is such a big deal for Lions Cricket?
A: Having Telkom back us from a 5G point of view is massive, because it means we will become the first 5G stadium on the continent. The first smart stadium on the continent too – thanks to Telkom and Macrocomm. These partners, along with our others such as global giants DP World and McDonalds, and many more, means that we are able to elevate the experience. The DP World Wanderers will be the first 5G, ‘smart’ and most tech-advanced stadium on the continent, which we are extremely excited about.
Q: What impact has the rebrand from “Imperial” to “DP World” had on Lions Cricket?
A: The rebrand hasn’t really had a significant impact as we are still working with the same teams – Imperial through to DP World are a great bunch of people and we’re working well together. For us, it’s just elevated us in the global space, because DP World are headline sponsors of golf’s DP World Tour and the DP World Asia Cup – and so to now have the DP World Lions and DP World Wanderers as part of their sporting stable is something that we feel extremely proud about. We look forward to a long and prosperous journey with them.
Q: On a personal note, what other sports do you follow and who are your favourite players and teams?
A: I enjoy watching all sports – especially rugby (Springboks and Sharks). Tennis – Roger Federer was sublime. Soccer – it’s Liverpool for me! From a cricket point of view, it’s the Proteas and Lions all the way. I enjoy all sports though, putting my feet up and enjoying a good game, irrespective of what sport it is.
