The Pakistan Cricket Board have raised the current Zimbabwe situation with the ICC, with a view to having the problem discussed at an emergency meeting of the ICC next month. Zimbabwe are due to tour Pakistan during 2006, and the PCB are concerned at the possibility of having to make alternative arrangements at short notice if the current player strike has not been resolved by then. Speaking in the Pakistani press, PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan described the Zim crisis as “alarming”:
“…if it persists like this then who is going to play for them? Because all their players have refused to play under the present set-up. We need to resolve this crisis as soon as possible because the situation in Zimbabwe obviously affects the Future Tours Programme of the ICC.”
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Government looks set to implement the recommendations of the recent SRC report into the running of ZC, including the imposition of an interim board. There’s apparently some wrangling over the precise makeup of the new board, which looks set to include people from both the current factions. It also seems likely that the new provinces which failed to be affiliated at last week’s EGM will be imposed on the organisation, regardless of the Board’s constitution.
Pakistan to push for Zimbabwe crisis resolution at ICC meeting (The News, Pakistan)
Government set to replace Zimbabwe board (CricInfo)
Zimbabwe Cricket’s EGM went ahead on Friday & descended quickly into farce. The meeting had been called to approve the affiliation on five new provinces & the removal of the existing Country Districts provinces, a move expected to reinforce Peter Chingoka’s hold on the Board, but yet again enough Board members stayed away to prevent a quorum from being formed - meaning that under the terms of ZC’s consitution, no decision on the new provinces could be taken.
Mashonaland West chairman Themba Mliswa was present & immediately went on the offensive, calling on Chingoka to simply ignore the Board’s constitution and force the decision through:
“A few years back, me and Chenjerai Hunzvi told the president to go against the constitution of Zimbabwe. We want to do what is just to the people of Zimbabwe. We cannot be guided by Rhodesian laws when we are in Zimbabwe. We are in a country that is black, and we rule. This is a train which cannot be stopped and we will get tough with whoever is in power to make sure that we cannot be stopped. We need a decision that has to go against the constitution. If this can’t happen we will ask ZC to step aside, and we will find our way.”
You’ll note the clear racial tones in that statement. Chingoka refused to allow a non-consitutional vote to be taken, and is now facing calls for his removal from both sides of the current conflict. Mliswa has threatened to set up a rival governing body:
“To us, provinces like the Country Districts do not exist anymore. Let us not ignore the political aspect of this. And this is the decision. If you deny that, we will put up our own constitution and go to SRC and say this is the constitution of a Zimbabwe Cricket Federation and get affiliated.”
Meanwhile, the SRC have submitted their report on the running of ZC to the Minister responsible, Aeneas Chigwedere, but Chigwedere has yet to give his approval to the SRC’s plan to replace the current board with an interim one. At a time when cricket in Zimbabwe is in urgent need of help, the only people capable of providing it seem willing to sit back and watch while the game’s governing body destroys itself.
BBC Sport has news of an escalation in the dispute between Zimbabwe players & ZC, reporting that members of the Zimbabwe Professional Cricketers’ Association have formally decided to strike & will boycott January’s Afro-Asian U19 tournament. The U21 team’s participation in the second round of SAA Provincial series games in South Africa is also in doubt. Speaking on Radio 5 Live, players’ representative Clive Field stated the strike was more in protest at ZC’s failure to complete contract negotiations & pay match fees outstanding from the New Zealand and India series, than at the continued presence of Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute, although that was also an issue:
“It’s a financial issue - these guys are crying out for help. But if they don’t see a viable career in cricket they will have to earn a living doing something else.”
The ICC have said they are:
“…are aware of this development and will continue to monitor further developments in Zimbabwe Cricket.”
CricInfo has the text of a statement issued by players explaining their position.
Zimbabwe players decide to strike (BBC Sport)
ICC urged to aid Zimbabwe players (BBC Sport)
Zimbabwe players’ statement
CricInfo has an “exclusive” statement from the ICC on their approach to the current problems in Zimbabwe, which you can read here. The general approach is that the ICC is not empowered to unilaterally take over the running of any member boards, and that doing so would be unlikely to produce a lasting settlement anyway - so any solution to Zimbabwe’s problems must come from Zimbabwe’s cricketing stakeholders.
The Independent has had sight of the report of the Reserve Bank’s Financial Intelligence Inspectorate report into ZC’s dealings, and lists 11 offences which it believes can be laid against the Board. However, the paper makes the point that prosecutions of ZC staff don’t appear to be being handled impartially, and reports that RBZ Governor Gideon Gono may be running into political opposition in pursuing the matter:
Although Chingoka and Bvute were identified in the central bank probe as having been at the forefront of the alleged breaches of the foreign exchange regulations, they escaped unscathed. The Attorney-General’s office refused to prosecute despite the fact that it had the central bank’s investigation dossier to support prosecution. … Sources said Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono first sought permission from President Robert Mugabe - the ZC patron - to investigate the cricket saga and secured it. However, after the investigation, Gono found his mission hitting a brick wall as the state prosecution authorities showed marked reluctance to pursue the case. Gono is understood to have been alarmed by this.
The saga continues…
ZC: summary of charges
Cricket saga: case of biased prosecution
CricInfo has details on a Sports and Recreation Commission report into the management of Zimbabwe Cricket, which raises a number of concerns over the Board’s management. For starters:
“There is a perceived lack of transparency in the manner the financial transactions are handled by the ZC chairman and managing director. There is perceived financial imprudence and misapplication of ZC funds by the board and its principal officers. There is a strong view that the bulk of the ZC funds should be channelled towards the players and cricket facilities, rather than the current position where it is perceived to be directed at the peripheral areas such as the bloated administrative staff of 74 members. The marketing wing of ZC is also perceived to be a financial drain.”
The report continues to be critical of several other areas of the Board’s operations. SRC and ZC representatives are due to meet on Tuesday (20th December) - the content of the SRC report seems to increase the likelihood of the current board being replaced by an interim board until the next ZC AGM. It remains to be seen, however, if an interim board would be more acceptable to the provincial associations and players than the current one.
Government report slams Zimbabwe board
The Standard reports that the Sports and Recreation Commission met on Thursday to discuss the problems with Zimbabwe Cricket, but their meeting broke up without a resolution and with no date set for a follow-on meeting, leaving them to speculate that the SRC has decided not to act at this time:
Whilst acknowledging receipt of a fresh appeal by disgruntled stakeholders on Thursday calling for the establishment of an interim committee that will restart the stalled game in view of looming international commitments, that the board meeting chose to ignore it “as it contained issues that were already being dealt with”, does nothing to raise expectations of a quick redress to an impasse that has so much damaged the once-thriving sport. A source within the SRC board has pointed out the “disregard” for procedure by the disaffected stakeholders where complaints “should have come through proper channels, like an association” hence the apparent snub by the Commission, to leave the game exposed and in danger of bowling itself out of the international fold.
Chingoka came out fighting in an interview in Thrusday’s Herald, although the interview notably failed to touch on Justice Ebrahim’s attempts to resolve the current crisis. According to Chingoka, he does
… “not see this as the battle for the players. After successfully negotiating for them, the players have their contracts now. Some have signed them while others are still to. Because they got the conditions they asked for, we expect them to sign too.”
As of Monday morning, the interview seems to have been removed from The Herald’s website.
Meanwhile, Matabeleland chairman Ahmet Esat has stood down from his post, and has been replaced by Ethan Dube. Dube is amongst those advocating the removal of Chingoka and Bvute. Current provincial vice-chairman Stanley Steddon, an ally of Chingoka who world normally have taken over the vacancy, is understood to have declined the post.
SRC dithers over cricket crisis (The Standard)
Justice Ebrahim has written to the Sports and Recreation Commission, asking them to intervene in the ZC affair after the release of Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute left the two sides in the dispute essentially at stalemate. Ebrahim did not have a quorom of ZC board members at yesterday’s stakeholder meeting and so was unable to push through the changes to the organisation he wanted:
“I have written a letter, to be delivered tomorrow to the Sports Commission seeking their intervention and assistance. I’ve highlighted a number of resolutions which I believe should be put in place, such as the call for a full forensic audit and also for a committee to manage the daily running of the institution. If we had a quorum from the board we could have made resolutions. That wasn’t there.”
Just when there’s light at the end of the tunnel, it turns out to be a train…
Zimbabwe Cricket Chairman Peter Chingoka and MD Ozias Bvute have been arrested and charged with offences under the Exchange Control Act. A ZRP spokesman has confirmed the arrests, and expects the pair to appear in court soon. The pair were arrested after surrendering themselves to Harare Central police station.
The ZC board is now expected to remove the pair from office & begin a forensic audit of the ZC accounts, to determine exactly what state to board’s finances are in, although it is already suspected the organisation is in serious financial trouble.
Depending on how events unfold from here, this may clear the way for a number of “retired” players, including former captain Tatenda Taibu, to return to the fold.
UPDATE: CricInfo are reporting that Chingoka and Bvute have been released without charge, after the Attorney General’s office ruled they had “no case to answer”. Today’s stakeholder meeting is still due to go ahead - it’s not clear what effect this news will have on proceedings there
Chingoka and Bvute released
Monday’s meeting of Zimbabwe Cricket stakeholders has been adjourned to Wednesday, to allow Justice Ahmed Ebrahim (who called the meeting) to consider and take advice on some of the issues raised. Reports from the meeting have indicated that it was “fruitful”, but only limited details are known at this time. Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute were not present, with a ZC spokesman claiming they had not known the meeting was going on.