It’s understood the journalist’s CSA accreditation was revoked after writing on the current dire state of cricket in the country.

JOHANNESBURG - Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday admitted to revoking journalists' accreditation, saying they were not given a chance to comment on CSA problems.

Speaking on Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa on 702, CSA’s CEO Thabang Moroe said: “The one issue that we have as CSA is really not being given an opportunity to comment on the affairs of CSA. Accreditation was revoked but that does not stop journalists from being able to enter the game.”

It’s understood the journalist’s CSA accreditation was revoked after writing on the current dire state of cricket in the country. The governing body said it had approached editors to try resolve the matter.

But Moroe denied CSA was trying to silence journalists after a number of sports reporters were denied access to Sunday’s Mzansi Super League match at the Wanderers Stadium.

Moroe did not deny that access was revoked and said that CSA were “unhappy” with the way cricket is being reported in the country.

"Their access was revoked because we've been trying on numerous occasions to sit with them so that we can say guys we are not happy with the way you are representing us in the public. We are not silencing journalists. We have started engaging with these journalists and their editors to find a commonality in how cricket is being reported. The one issue we have is not being given the opportunity to comment on the affairs of CSA," he said.

Moroe went on to say that the articles that some journalists have written contain “misguided” and “misplaced” facts.

“We really don’t have an issue with people criticising us, in fact, we welcome the criticism, but give us an opportunity to sit with you and go through whatever piece of evidence that you have that you think are the facts so that we can tell you where we are on this matter. It's not a matter of us wanting to silence journalists. Journalists are not our enemies because the sport of cricket needs journalists to thrive,” he said.

_Listen to Thabang Moroe’s interview on Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa on 702: _