The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema Deputy Sports
EditorIt’s really a sad day in the game of cricket, particularly Zimbabwean Cricket, when one has to implore the use of Japanese idioms to best describe the predicament the country’s game finds itself in. The term “fall on the proverbial sword” is one such phrase that has come up countless times and is believed to be incumbent Zimbabwe Cricket boss Peter Chingoka’s only way out as the once promising light at the end of the tunnel begins to flicker into abject dimness.
Zimbabwe Cricket’s rejection of the US$16 million bail out seems to be a catalyst that could finally bring an end to Chingoka’s almost 22-year stay at the helm of the country’s sport.
For the last decade, ideas have come thick and fast albeit to no avail as changes in personnel, coaching and captaincy has yielded no results on the pitch.
Cost cutting measures — the latest being the trimming down of the country’s franchises — attempts to lure more lucrative tours, centralization of the country’s cricket structures and retrenchments of personnel have done little to alleviate insolvency or dent the ever growing debt that is reported to stand US$18 million.
With that said, it seems only one course of action remains and that is maybe a total reshuffle of the board itself.
A new face at the helm of Zimbabwe Cricket, possibly a younger fresher business savvy gentleman, could be the thing to attract investor interest, sponsorship and repair the tattered Zimbabwe cricket image and relations.
Credit to Chingoka: he showed a great pair in refusing the alleged ICC bailout, which apart from injecting liquidity into ZC’s coffers would have come with way too many hidden clauses and strings attached.
Bear in mind that the current state of affairs in international cricket as India, Australia and England are currently on a mission to rule over the sport and it would be far-fetched to conclude that should the administrator come on aboard, Zimbabwe would have no say on its own fate as he would have power of attorney (for lack of a better term).
So let’s give credit where it is due.
Back to the lecture at hand, Chingoka seems to have overstayed his welcome and now could be the ideal time for the 54-year old to step down and hand over the reins to someone new, anyone.
In retrospect, it’s been a little over 11 years since the veteran administrator first lost control of the ship that is ZC and 10 years since the results started to reflect as such.
For a brief history: February 2 2003, Henry Olonga and Andy Flower embarked on what is known today as the “Black Armband protest”, a misplaced token that was celebrated internationally but shamed, and rightly so, locally.
Misplaced, ill-advised and a low down dirty shame: the protest triggered a string of events that are directly responsible for the mess that the sport currently finds itself in, a burden Chingoka, unfortunately, has had to bear alone.
Another pivotal point in Chingoka’s history came roughly a year later, 2004 to be exact, when then cricket captain Heath Streak approached the powers that be with a letter of grievances the team had at that time.
Simpler in nature and more to do with cricket matters, unlike Olonga and Flower’s politically crude publicity stunt: Streak’s cries fell on deaf ears and as a result he was then unceremoniously relieved of his duties leading to an outcry from the team and a subsequent exodus of experienced players.
What followed then was a spat of dismal results, withdrawal of the country from the Test arena, more dismal results, reprieves when Zimbabwe beat Australia in 2007 then Pakistan in 2013 and then more dismal results.
All this capped off by reports of maladministration, a growing debt, the financial instability the sum of which being the circus that currently characterizes the game’s state of affairs today.
During that time Zimbabwe Cricket has virtually pointed the finger at every conceivable scapegoat whether it be “lady luck” herself, the coaching staff, player base, captaincy or selectors and even the economy for the lack of results on the pitch.
As for the sport’s financial state, the same blame game has been employed and all that’s gone to show is dry up of ideas.
So what does that say about our future?
