Zim Cricket’s drunken masters

01 Jul, 2018 - 00:07 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

IN the decades to come future historians will most likely look back and condemn our generation for allowing the farce that is Zimbabwe Cricket go on about their business without censure.

Today the Chevrons open up their tri-series account with a tie against the number one ranked Twenty20 side in the world, Pakistan, at Harare Sports Club.

This they will do as Australia waits in the wings.

Ordinarily, this alone would have been the perfect opportunity for ZC to put its best foot forward and right the wrongs of the nightmarish 2019 Cricket World Cup Qualifying tournament earlier this year.

But alas, that is not the case.

Instead, a huge cloud currently hovers over the entire series as the absence of senior players such as Graeme Cremer, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, Raza Sikander Butt and Brandon Taylor points to everything being wrong in the local game.

While Raza has opted to take part in the Global T20 tournament in Canada, the quartet of Taylor, Cremer, Williams and Craig Ervine have stuck to their guns and will not be part of the tour owing to the ongoing player/board dispute over non-payment of salaries and match fees.

The impasse itself has reached unprecedented levels, and quite honestly has dragged on for way too long especially given that the fact all that is needed is written assurances from the board.

Why can’t ZC put their commitment to pay the players their outstanding match fees and salaries in black and white?

What are they scared of?

The silence from both camps has not really helped matters either.

It has given birth to half-truths, patriotism talk that is meant to emotionally blackmail players as well as create a platform for doomsdays prophets to tell their warped up stories.

That the players are owed money in the form of match fees, salaries and bonuses that date back to as far as the Sri Lanka tour last year is not in doubt.

What is in doubt is the sincerity of ZC in paying the money later this month as promised.

The problem arises from the fact that there is no trust between the two parties.

ZC refuse to pin themselves down on paper and the senior players have responded by making themselves unavailable.

That the cricket governing body is in a financial mess is an open secret but that sad state of affairs does not give them license to run away from their obligations.

And their efforts to suffocate the setting up of a players’ union are lamentable.

A players’ association or union is standard procedure and quite honestly long overdue as far Zimbabwe cricket is concerned.

Taylor and his boys have done themselves a great service by resurrecting the players association as it allows them a platform to air their grievances without fear of persecution.

Taylor has taken up the role of locker room leader, and more importantly the face of the players’ association.

For that he deserves respect and not ridicule.

He has taken the brunt of the abuse and criticism levelled at the players like a champ and has stood steadfast even as his career risks yet another premature end.

The hope is that Zimbabwe Cricket does manage to fulfill their promises and finally sanction the players’ union.

Maybe then all this madness will finally end and all eyes will be on the pitch and not the boardroom where egoistic administrators are messing up one thing after the other.

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