The Zimbabwe Crisis

Before I start writing anything, I would like to state that the game in Zimbabwe has already gone back by 20 years. If at the momment, they cant even produce a team which will stand up to teams from Scotland and Ireland, then things are really bad from a Test Playing nation point of view.

Zimbabwe board seems to be doing a strange thing. They dont give anyone any money from the grants that ICC gives them, and when the players ask for money, they just fire them and field a team of 16 year old schoolboys. After that, when the schoolboy team gets thrashed by everyone, the board asks for time. It is interesting that the players have finally refused to go to any tournament. What I find unbelievable is that the ICC is STILL not interfering. I mean, what if Zimbabwe players refuse to show up in an ICC World Cup? Will the ICC still not interfere saying that it is their internal affair?

What I want to know is ….. exactly what does the Zimbabwe board do with appoximately $15 million in ICC grant every year? Its a lot of money anyway, but when you take the economy of Zimbabwe into account, its a lot more. Tatenda Taibu is at the momment playing league cricket in Bangladesh happily for $1000 for 2 months. And Zimbabwe board needs $15 million to promote the game in that country?

ICC needs to ask a few questions. So what if Zimbabwe is kicked out of World Cricket? Whatever Zimbabwe had to offer, they have already lost that in the last 2 years. The remainder is not something that anyone cares about, inside or outside Zimbabwe. When the Zimbabwe officials say that Zimbabwe need more time, the obvious rebuttal is …… why Zimbabwe? Why shouldnt the ICC give another country like Scotland or Ireland a Test Status and play the waiting game there? At least some future can be seen there. But no future in Zimbabwe, especially when the players are going on a strike and refusing to show up for games, and especially when a full Zimbabwe side is getting named as Zimbabwe A and being thrashed by Kenya.

Zimbabwe cricket does not generate any money. Their people, the blacks, hardly have any interest in the sport. The government obviously does not otherwise it would have intervened. They survive on 1) ICC Grants every year and 2) selling TV rights to other countries that tour them through an ICC ‘forced’ test program. So essentially, the Zimbabwe board is squandering away the money of other Cricket playing countries. How exactly is that an internal matter?

If lets say, tommorrow, Zimbabwe decides to field a team full of 6 year olds, is that their internal matter?