The rush for Beyers Swanepoel to board his flight to England was exponentially greater than the care taken to ensure he had what he required to take up his contract with Worcestershire, if a CSA release on Monday is to be believed.
Swanepoel, the release said, signed his one-year, red-ball deal with the county on November 24 last year. By the time he fastened his seatbelt on March 29 - all of 126 days later - he still didn't have a signed No Objection Certificate (NOC).
As Swanepoel isn't contracted by CSA he needed an NOC signed by the national body as well as his provincial union, the Lions. He had neither but went to England anyway.
"A request for an NOC was subsequently submitted on the evening of March 29 2026 by Mr Swanepoel's agent," the release said. "CSA further confirms that the required NOC was not requested prior to Mr Swanepoel's departure, despite sufficient opportunity to do so."
Asked by Cricbuzz to confirm that timeline, the lips of Donovan Kretschmer, Swanepoel's agent, remained all but sealed: "While the disciplinary process is ongoing we won't comment on any details of the matter or any statements made."
Swanepoel's contract with the Lions was terminated on Thursday, but he remains on CSA's carpet on a level four charge for bringing the game into disrepute. If found guilty he would face, CSA's code of conduct says, "a suspension of between five four-day matches or 10 one-day/T20 matches and a life ban".
Kretschmer could also be in trouble, the release suggested: "CSA is separately assessing conduct-related aspects of this matter in accordance with its disciplinary processes, which include consideration of the conduct of both the player and relevant accredited intermediaries."
None of this would have been anywhere near as serious were it not for the circumstances of Swanepoel's rude departure. He left the field and drove away from the Wanderers with seven overs of the Titans innings in the One-Day Cup final still to be bowled on the now fateful date of March 29.
The Lions were rightly punished for Swanepoel's illegitimate absence by being denied a substitute fielder, which could well have influenced the result - the Titans won by three wickets with a solitary ball remaining.
Because he turned up at New Road in Worcester without a signed NOC, Swanepoel wasn't eligible to play in the county's championship opener away to Derbyshire, which started five days after he arrived in England. Would flying out a day later, maybe even with a signed NOC in his hand luggage, have been so difficult? Consequently Worcestershire were forced to sign Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who turns 37 in June, to temporarily replace the 28-year-old South African.
That was a pity for Swanepoel's new team, because as a medium pacer he might have been able to do something about Derbyshire batting on until an hour after lunch on the second day, racking up 625/8, before they declared. Worcestershire were bowled out 313 runs behind and made to follow on. They stood firm for more than eight hours, facing 120 overs, to force the draw with three wickets standing.
Worcestershire's next match, against Middlesex at Lord's, began the day after Swanepoel's and the Lions' messy divorce was finalised. He no longer needed the province's permission to play for foreign teams, but CSA's say-so was still missing.
Swanepoel looked on as Worcs won by 57 runs despite being bowled out for 191 in the first innings. Hannon-Dalby kept his team in the game by taking 4/45 in Middlesex's reply of 183. Doubtless the Saffer was quietly relieved that his replacement didn't claim more than 2/54 in a second innings of 204.
Because, also in Monday's release, CSA said they had granted Swanepoel his NOC. That makes him available to play in his county's first home match of the season, against Kent from Friday. But it needed bolshy lawyering to get there, which explains the overtly starchy language used in the statement.
"CSA confirms that it has received a formal demand for the immediate issuance of [an NOC] in respect of professional cricketer Mr Beyers Swanepoel, following correspondence lodged on 10 April 2026 by his legal representatives," the release said.
Pholetsi Moseki, CSA's chief executive, was quoted as saying: "We remain mindful of athletes' constitutional rights, including the right to choose a trade, occupation or profession freely, subject to lawful and reasonable regulation. At the same time, we are obliged to uphold our governance framework, contractual standards, and codes of conduct in the interests and reputation of the game."
You have to have slipped to a remarkable level of unprofessionalism, bad manners and sheer lack of common sense to make an organisation as stained by history as CSA look like the good guys in an argument. Sadly, Swanepoel has achieved this dubious distinction.
Even so, good luck for Friday, Beyers. You've earned, the hard way, a few better days.
