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Minister Hlongwane

Eddie Chikamhi Harare Bureau
MINISTER of Sport and Recreation Makhosini Hlongwane has demanded answers from Zimbabwe Cricket for the continued downward spiral by the senior team after the Chevrons fell to a humiliating 49-run defeat at the hands of Associate nation, Afghanistan, at the weekend.

Zimbabwe have now dropped to number 12 with the defeat while Afghanistan broke into the top 10 for the first time, according to the latest One Day International rankings released by the International Cricket Council at the weekend.

The Chevrons sunk to a new low when they were bowled out for a paltry 82 runs on Christmas Day after they had restricted the hosts to 131.

Dav Whatmore’s men were embarrassed by the Afghan spinners as they could not last 31 overs, handing the Tigers another historic feat, apart from the top 10 rankings, of defending the lowest total by an Associate Nation against a Full Member.

Hlongwane yesterday said the situation with the Zimbabwe cricket was worrying especially as the team had recently slumped to humiliating ODI and T20 series defeats to the same side at home.

The Minister said Zimbabwe have won big matches before and noted with “alarm and deep concern the recent trend in which the team is losing to associate nations.”

“The continued dismal performance by the team is a cause for consternation and shouldn’t be allowed to continue.

“The Zimbabwe cricket community knows as much as everyone does that Zimbabwe can play better than what’s currently on show, and it boggles the mind why Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate.

“Time has indeed come for a frank conversation on the goings on at the Zimbabwe Cricket and a candid introspection by the board, in order to bring back the glory days of cricket in Zimbabwe,” said Hlongwane.

The Minister revealed he was also concerned that there are no apparently clear structural and other interventions by the board that seem to arrest the continued downward spiral of cricket in Zimbabwe with a sense of urgency, as deserved by the current situation.

He also hinted that he might summon the cricket leadership to a meeting when the side returns from the current tour, which is being hosted in the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier this year, Hlongwane toured the ZC offices where the new leadership led by Tavengwa Mukuhlani promised to turn things around.

Hlongwane is, however, worried by the apparent lack of drive to get the team firing again.

“The Minister calls on the Zimbabwe Cricket Board to very quickly realise that it can’t be business as usual if Zimbabwe is to be saved from the humiliation of continued defeat at the hands of associate and other nations.

“While it’s appreciated that there are long term measures to intervene in cricket so as to facilitate structural and systematic design changes to the development and spread of the game in Zimbabwe, it’s the short and medium term measures, to arrest the continued decline whose seeming absence, or failure, is worrying.

“The Zimbabwe Cricket Board must come to terms with the fact that cricket is losing fans, sponsors and other important stakeholders and this must be reversed now.

“Zimbabwe Cricket needs as of yesterday to deploy a clear turnaround strategy that gets Zimbabwe to competitive levels of play,” said Hlongwane.

In expressing concern over the situation in cricket, Hlongwane also spoke on behalf of many of the game’s enthusiasts who are worried about the slump in form ahead of the T20 World Cup early next year.