Sydney Morning Herald
By Jesse Hogan
October 31, 2009
Zimbabwe is preparing to return from cricket’s wilderness, writes Jesse Hogan in Nagpur.
Zimbabwe’s cricketing credibility has plunged during the past five years, but the nation’s long-time cricketing chief insists the nation is on the road to recovery.
Rifts dominated by race and politics are the main reason Zimbabwe has not played a Test match since September 2005, and can count only minnows Bangladesh and Kenya as recent opponents in one-day cricket.
But Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka says the nation has a plan to regain its Test-playing status and be competitive within two years.
The key, says the controversial administrator – banned from entering Australia due to his alleged political links – has been the return of former players such as Alastair Campbell, Dave Houghton and Andy Waller as coaches and mentors to the team.
”We’ve had a period of time where it’s not been easy,” Chingoka says. ”Because there was an exodus of players some time ago for various reasons, the youngsters who had a lot of promise and potential didn’t have anybody to turn to for advice or guidance. We’ve lost that period of four years, in terms of advice being handed down.”
While Campbell has come back as convener of selectors and Houghton as a part-time director of coaching, Zimbabwe Cricket has also employed former captain Heath Streak – who, in 2004, was sacked along with 14 other white cricketers – as a bowling coach for the team. The mass sackings came after players complained about government interference and alleged corruption in Zimbabwean cricket.
Chingoka, however, believed the biggest issue had come from trying to transform cricket in Zimbabwe from an elitist, predominantly whites-only sport into one played by the masses.
”In trying to get from elitist sport to a national sport, we had problems because some people felt we were going over the line, and we thought we were still below the line in trying to make sure we had the right plan. Those misunderstandings do happen,” Chingoka says.
”Unfortunately, they also took place around 2000, 2001, 2002, when there was also the land [seizing] issue in Zimbabwe. It’s only over the last few months that some of the people that pulled out of the situation have told us they saw a correlation between the land issue and cricket. We always kept our doors open – as people came back, we’ve not asked any questions. We just held hands and decided to move forward together.”
The reform of Zimbabwean cricket started with the appointment of a new sports minister in David Coltart, an ally of Prime Minister and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai (who is in coalition with Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe).
Part of the plan for reforming Zimbabwean cricket has involved mimicking South Africa by slashing its domestic competition from 10 teams to five in a bid to improve standards.
In the past year, Zimbabwe has played 25 one-day matches, with all but three against either Kenya or Bangladesh. Chingoka said the nation planned to eventually resume matches against leading cricketing nations.
”If you’re playing India, England, Australia and South Africa, you’re bringing in revenue. The more we play against Bangladesh, and Bangladesh play 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, who also happen to be everyone’s favourite – and therefore [they are] difficult to get slots against,” he says.
Chingoka said he had no idea if his ban from entering Australia still stood. ”I don’t know – no one ever told me directly. I don’t know what the reasons are so I can’t answer that,” he says. ”The reasons given were outrageous, that I promoted and supported violence before, during and after the election. I’m just a cricket man.”