The Sunday Mail
ZIMBABWE Cricket is against the proposed changes to the scheduling of international matches and recently told ICC general manager Geoff Allardice that the proposed move was retrogressive.
Allardice was in the country last weekend and tried to pitch the 9-3 proposal which calls for a shift from the current bilateral scheme and puts the power back into the hands of the ICC.
If approved the new approach will see the introduction of a two-year Test league, a 13-team ODI league, and a regional qualification process for the World T20.
The Test league will have the top nine ranked Test sides playing each other home or away once over a two-year period.
Zimbabwe is currently ranked tenth.
ZC managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa explained why they are against the proposed changes: “The problem we have with the proposal is that it will be retrogressive to what we are trying to achieve as nation and an organisation.
“Under the new scheme, we would be in the bottom three and as such only get to play lower ranked non-Test playing nations.
“On top of more games, which presumably the new proposal would guarantee, we want to also play some of the top nations. This is the only way we can improve, as the saying goes that ‘you are only as good as your opposition’ This is something we can’t get by playing only the lower ranked sides.”
The proposed model effectively rules out Zimbabwe from the Test league, given its ranked number 10, and forces the country to play what are in fact unofficial Tests against associates sides. While the nine Test nations are obliged to play at least a Test match against the bottom three teams, they have the right to choose which nation to play.
The only advantage Zimbabwe will have under the proposals is that the country is guaranteed more games in the 13 team-ODI league.
