CricInfo reports that Zimbabwe’s players are considering taking legal action against ZC over unpaid match fees - some US$200,000 remains unpaid from last year’s series against New Zealand and India. It seems likely that even if ZC was willing to pay, though, it simply doesn’t have the money available to do so.
Zimbabwe players prepare to sue board
Monthly Archive for January, 2006
Zimbabwe’s professional players are due to meet on Friday to consider the implications of ZC’s decision to withdraw from Test cricket for at least the remainder of the year. Given their recent strike action was only halted in an effort to maintain Test status, it’s at least possible the decision could trigger yet another player strike.
Meanwhile, former player Stuart Carlisle has launched a broadside at the ICC over their handling of Zimbabwe’s woes. According to BBC Sport, Carlisle claims the suspension of Test status could have been avoided if the ICC had intervened when Zimbabwe’s problems began to arise several yeasr ago:
“I put 95% of the blame on the ICC. They could have done a lot more and avoided this. But they just didn’t want to get involved. One day the ICC is going to have to stand up and make a decision on something. They can’t always pass it on and say it’s an ‘internal matter’. They’re going to have to grow a spine and make a decision.”
For their part, the ICC is now working to ensure that other Test nations fulfil their one-day fixtures against Zimbabwe. In a statment on the ICC website, Ehsan Mani welcomes Zimbabwe’s decision:
“”Zimbabwe Cricket has taken a sensible step in withdrawing from its Test cricket commitments for the coming year. The Zimbabwe team has demonstrated in recent series that it is not in a position to be competitive in Test cricket and its decision to withdraw from its commitments over the next 12 months helps protect the integrity of the international game. During this period we will support Zimbabwe Cricket by encouraging other members to host and undertake tours that expose Zimbabwe’s elite cricketers to the longer form of the game. We will closely monitor the performance and progress of the team and towards the end of the year we will work with Zimbabwe Cricket to determine the most appropriate course of action.”
But the exodus may already have begun. The Zimbabwe Independent reports that Tinashe Panyangara looks set to join Lincolnshire Premier League side Holton-le-Clay, subject to obtaining a work permit. If the current woes drag on, you have to wonder if there will be any players left when the time comes to reconsider Zimbabwe’s Test future.
Cricket ’spineless’ on Zimbabwe (BBC Sport)
Zimbabwe’s players consider their options (CricInfo)
ICC welcomes decisions of Interim Board to withdraw from Test cricket and investigate financial allegations (ICC)
Panyangara set to join English side (Zimbabwe Independent)
The interim ZC board met for the first time today in Harare, and announced their decision to withdraw from Test matches for the remainder of 2006. It is planned that Test matches will resume with the tour to Sri Lanka in early 2007, although obviously much depends on how much progress can be made by the country’s cricketers by then.
CricInfo speculates that the ICC may have put pressure on chairman Peter Chingoka to agree to the suspension during his meeting with Ehsan Mani and Malcolm Speed in Karachi last week. The decision means that, despite assurances being given to the WICB, at the very least the Test matches scheduled against the West Indies for April will not now go ahead.
A press release issued after the Board meeting stated the decision was made as a result of recent poor performances by the national teams, but that
“…the young teams remain full of potential and hopes abound for their development into a strong and competitive performer on the Test arena. ZC is now putting in place a programme to galvanise the development of the Zimbabwe squads. It will work with other Test nations and the ICC itself to realise this objective.”
Zimbabwe suspend themselves from Tests
The Bangladesh Cricket Board have announced they have invited Zimbabwe & Kenya to take part in a triangular series to be held in Bangladesh between 10-24 March. As yet, neither African board has confirmed their participation, although given current problems & the proposed tournament’s closeness to Zimbabwe’s scheduled tour of the West Indies, it seems unlikely Zimbabwe will take part.
Meanwhile, according to Barbados paer The Nation, interim ZC Chairman Peter Chingoka has confirmed to the WICB that Zimbabwe intend to fulfill their touring obligations in April. Whether this is a case of wishful thinking remains to be seen.
The ICC Executive Board has been meeting in Karachi. While there, ICC President Ehsan Mani and ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed had a private meeting with Peter Chingoka in his role as Chairman of the Interim board of Zimbabwe Cricket. According to the ICC’s website:
“…Mr Mani and Mr Speed highlighted a number of areas of concern which the ICC expects the Interim Committee to urgently resolve in an open and transparent manner. These include addressing allegations of financial mismanagement; ensuring disputes between players and the board are effectively addressed; and providing certainty for other ICC members that the strongest possible Zimbabwe cricket team will be able to fulfill future international commitments, especially the forthcoming tour of the West Indies due to commence in April.”
What the ICC intends to do if their concerns aren’t dealt with remains to be seen…
ICC meetings address ICC Champions Trophy venues, television rights and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe have named a largely inexperienced squad for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup. Sean Williams has been named captain, but is understood to be under pressure not to take part in the competition following the recent changes in Zimbabwe Cricket.
The full squad is: Sean Williams (capt), Roland Benade, Gary Balance, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Graeme Cremer, Ryan Higgins, Friday Kasteni, Tarisai Mahlunge, Keagan Meth, Taurai Muzarabani, Ian Nicolson, Kudakwashe Samunderu, Glen Querl, Prince Masvaure.
Zimbabwe’s first game in the tournament is due to be against Ireland, on 5 February.
From the ICC Website:
The International Cricket Council (ICC) today acknowledged the decision of the Zimbabwe Sports and Recreation Commission to appoint an Interim Committee to administer Zimbabwe Cricket.
ICC President Ehsan Mani confirmed that he had received an email stating that the board of Zimbabwe Cricket had been suspended with immediate effect and replaced with an Interim Committee.
“An email has been forwarded to us on behalf of the Zimbabwe Sports and Recreation Commission confirming that an Interim Committee has been appointed and we are in the process of seeking to obtain further details regarding this development,” said Mr Mani.
“However, no-one should regard the appointment of this committee as a solution to the issues facing Zimbabwe cricket and there remain a number of outstanding matters that must be urgently resolved in an open and transparent manner to support Zimbabwe’s participation in international cricket.
“These include addressing allegations of financial mismanagement; ensuring disputes between players and the board are effectively addressed; and providing certainty for other ICC members that the strongest possible Zimbabwe cricket team will be able to fulfil future international commitments, especially the forthcoming tour of the West Indies due to commence in April.”
© ICC
Zimbabwe’s international players have called an end to their strike action, despite not having their demands for the removal of Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute met. According to players’ representative Clive Field:
“They’ve put their pockets in front of their principles in the hope that they can persevere and preserve their income.”
The players are also keen to ensure that Zimbabwe’s Test status is preserved, despite comments by SRC chairman Brigadier Gibson Mashingaidze that government weren’t bothered about such things:
“We did not want to be drawn into his comments, but [the players] are extremely disturbed that people could be willing to sacrifice the fabric of Zimbabwe cricket. The issue of Test status is a paramount one. They are keen to make it known that we have to preserve that status. The players are now waiting to see if they can salvage something from this new board.”
The ICC has still not commented on events in Zimbabwe, despite having promised a statement “within 24 hours” of the news breaking on Friday.
The Zimbabwe government has appointed an interim board to handle the running of Zimbabwe Cricket, but their actions could result in the loss of Test status for Zimbabwe & look unlikley to persuade striking players to return.
The interim board consists of Cyprian Mandenge, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, Ntokozo Ncube and Wilson Manase, along with a number of government officials. Peter Chingoka retains his place as Chairman. Ozias Bvute, as a Board employee, also looks set to retain his position. Announcing the changes, Sports and Recreation Commission chairman, Brigadier Gibson Mashingaidze, confirmed that the changes has the blessing of President Mugabe, and that white and asian members of the Board had been removed for
“their racial connotations and saving their own agendas and not government policy.”
Addressing the players’ concerns, Mashingaidze was uncompromising:
“Those who want to stay in can stay, but those who want to go are free to go. They can go to India, Canada or wherever. We are not bothered. The government will not be held at ransom by individuals”
…adding that the players’ strike action & demands for the removal of Chingoka and Bvute amounted to
“…Indiscipline of the highest magnitude. They have no reason to do that. It’s not their role.”
Under these circumstances, it seems unlikely that the striking players will be able to return, although players’ representative Clive Field has said he is still willing to talk to Chingoka:
“I am prepared to meet him. He’s got my number and I’ve got his. Have tried to meet him in the past, even last week, but he said it wasn’t necessary.”
The ICC have been unwilling to discuss the matter until they have spoken to all parties concerned, but an official statement is expected from them shortly. Zimbabwe’s continued participation in Test cricket must now be in doubt, but this does not seem to bother the Zimbabwean authorities - according to Mashingaidze,
“We are prepared to be chucked out of the Test status. The government is saying we are starting afresh. We are not bothered.”
It would seem that the fat lady has begun to sing for Zimbabwe Cricket. In the words of Clive Field, as reported by BBC Sport:
“I think we’re stuffed, more stuffed than we’ve ever been. It’s not going to be cricket, it’s going to be a corpse.”