NZ Sport
AAP
October 28, 2009
Zimbabwe’s cricket chairman Peter Chingoka grudgingly admits the dilution of dictator Robert Mugabe’s powerbase has helped set the game back on the path towards good health in his country.
And he believes Zimbabwe is now on course to resume cricket contact with Australia after a five-year break.
Still barred from entry into Australia or Britain due to his alignment with the regime of Mugabe, Chingoka has watched as new sports minister David Coltart – a founding member of prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement For Democratic Change – swept a wave of optimism and new accountability through Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).
Coltart’s appointment and influence has encouraged a raft of former Zimbabwean cricketers to resume participation in their homeland, with former captains Dave Houghton (director of coaching) Alistair Campbell (convenor of selectors) and Heath Streak (bowling coach) among them.
The national team is beginning to pull out of the death-dive of the past decade, and on Tuesday enjoyed a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Murpur.
Speaking in Nagpur, India where he is a guest of Indian board president Shashank Manohar, Chingoka remains hesitant to apportion any specific praise to the other side of politics, but acknowledges that doors once shut are now opening with increasing regularity.
Asked what Tsvangirai’s half of government had done for the game, he said: “I don’t know. We’ve not had any discussions with him directly. As the economy improves we’re getting more sponsorship and various other things have a mushroom effect, so it might help.
“I think that some players have probably been encouraged to come back because of the situation if they were not in agreement with what was going on before.
“But obviously we’re all working in solidarity moving forward.”
As for the travel sanctions, Chingoka said he was unaware of any change to the bans placed on him and ZC chief executive Ozias Bvute, and still refused to accept their reasons.
“The reasons given were outrageous, that I promoted and supported violence before, during and after the election. I’m just a cricket man,” he said.
“And when we did ask a question they said they were autonomous sanctions.”
Zimbabwe are being gently re-admitted to the international fold via series against other lesser sides such as Bangladesh and Kenya, but Chingoka forecast a resumption of cricket against Australia and other major nations as vital for the future.
Australia last played Zimbabwe in a controversial three match series in 2004.
“Yes . . . both on the field and as well as the fact that, in descending order, if you’re playing India, England, Australia and South Africa then you’re bringing in revenue,” he said.
“The more we play against Bangladesh and Bangladesh playing against us the more we’re losing money because we’re spending money on production costs without the necessary revenue coming back.
“There is a need to balance that, and hopefully get opportunities to play the revenue-earning countries.”
Zimbabwe have maintained a relationship with Cricket Australia that has grown since the government changes – earlier this year Zimbabwe’s coach Walter Chawaguta spent 10 days with the Australian team that played Pakistan in Dubai.
“In our situation, Cricket Australia’s been fantastic to us. They’ve helped about eight or nine of our administrators in Melbourne, they’ve taken on a similar number of players and coaches,” Chingoka said.
“Boards-to-boards level, individual-to-individual we have fantastic relations.”