Johannesburg, Aug 2 (IANS): Former South Africa captain and Cricket South Africa's (CSA) Director of Cricket Graeme Smith said that "internal agendas" within the country's cricket governing body has been a "cancer" that has affected it for a while.

"I think it's been a cancer from within the organisation for a while and it's not getting any better," he was quoted as saying by News24.

"You try and sit and work out who in senior positions in this organisation is doing this, and why? What is the end goal? Is it serving cricket? It's quite clearly someone in a high-profile position, whether it is in the business part or the board part, because some of the stuff being leaked can only be from those parties within the organisation and that's disappointing.

"It doesn't help cricket, it doesn't help us build relations, it doesn't help us put our right foot forward. We're an organisation that spends all our time talking about these other things instead of the game of cricket.

"It certainly does feel that there are people within these positions that have ulterior motives."

Smith joined CSA amid turmoil within the board that was coupled with a downturn in performances of the men's cricket team. He has however been the subject of criticism for the process of his appointment and that of his former team mate Mark Boucher as full-time coach of the Proteas.

CSA said in a recent statement that a group of 40 former black players and coaches that met with the board to discuss issues over support for the Black Lives Matter movement among others were dissapointed that Smith was not present at the meeting.