Should Zimbabwe remain a test playing nation?

[Richard]

Whether you're critical of Zanu-PF or not and all that...

 

[Richard]

And I shudder to think of the ICC being referred to as a "noble gathering" right at the moment...

Why the "right at the moment"?

 

[Prince EWS]

Whether you're critical of Zanu-PF or not and all that...

It's not even just player selection though, which many people seem to think. The cricket board doesn't act in the best interests of cricket - it acts in the best interests of the government. Cases of players not being paid, completely random players being given contracts and the ZC bullying and threatening the players are much bigger contributors to the overall problem than the fact that they'd occassionally pick Stuart Matsikenyeri over Mark Vermeulen.

 

[Richard]

Oh, yes, I quite agree.

But I'd also imagine that a black player critical of the Mugabe regime would be in with a considerably better shout than a white one not.

EDIT: other way around, as you can probably guess...

 

[JASON]

Why is Zimbabwe supported? Easy- because they are an easily bought vote around the ICC table.

You have a ZC board that is indistinguishable from the government, a government that is desperate for foreign currency. On the other hand, you have a voting bloc that needs a couple of extra votes to have a permanent majority on the ICC board, and has plenty of cash to splash around in order to facilitate that.

Swap some of that excess cash for a priceless guaranteed vote, and you have a pretty good deal for both sides. The game ends up taking it in the derrière, which is unfortunate collateral damage.

Richard is dead right. Not a single thing in Zimbabwe will be salvageable until Zanu-PF is out. Giving ZC extra time or conditions to meet is pointless and redundant.

And I shudder to think of the ICC being referred to as a "noble gathering" right at the moment...

That's exactly what I was alluding to ...and despite being an Asian myself I am ashamed that they do this ....

 

[JASON]

The problems aren't as much racial as they are political and administrational, really. There is an element of racist discrimination, especially at junior levels, but it's actually not as prevalent at the highest level, especially now that they have so few players available. The top-level problems revolve around a dire, politically biased and focused administration.

One hopes the Corrupt Political Regime in the Country doesn't have too much long to go before they run away or are captured...given the Economy is going from Bad to worse...It shouldn't be too long now ...

 

[LA ICE-E]

That's a very, very naive thing to think. The issues of the govornment and the ZC are intertwined, as the organisations are intertwined. Suggesting the two are separate issues - as both you and I$C$C are doing - is pure and simple head-in-the-sand stuff.

Yeah I know that but still you have to give them a chance. And if the board use their chance(which they likely wont) and fix it ok then if not then demote them.

 

[Richard]

You don't have to give them a chance (and it's not as if that's not been being done for the last decade or so) because you know exactly what will happen. There is precisely 0 chance of the board fixing anything, because the board is not a competent cricketing body, it is a subsidary of the govornment.

And as most people know, anything which has anything to do with Zanu-PF is automatically a hopeless case.

 

[Bracken]

That's exactly what I was alluding to ...and despite being an Asian myself I am ashamed that they do this ....

Hey- I was born in Wales to an Indian mother (who was near on FANATICAL about making sure we knew and loved our heritage) and an English father, and moved to Australia as an infant. As far as international cricket discussions are concerned, I am about as nationalistically uncompromised as you'll find.

I don't condemn the BCCI and their allies for doing this- their main objective is increasing their control over the ICC. I can't condemn them for making a deal that facilitates their goal. It would be nice if they would make the interests of cricket their highest priority, but realistically, that isn't going to happen.

On another level, the BCCI has a vivid memory of world cricket being run where England and Australia had twice as many votes around the table as every other country did, resulting in cricket being run in favour of those two nations. They didn't like it then, and now want to et their own back.

Again, it would be much better for the game if they saw that the error was not WHO had the overriding power, but that any nation had it. I would suggest that would be wishful thinking, though.

Maybe that's just the cynic in me...

 

[Bracken]

Why the "right at the moment"?

Well, the "right in the moment" remark is me suggesting that maybe...perhaps...POSSIBLY the planets will align and we'll get an ICC that looks around at a multitude of FUNCTIONAL global sporting bodies and decide to run one that actually operates as an international controlling body should, rather than the tripe we have to deal with currently.

See, now THAT'S the optimist in me...

 

[Richard]

Haha. I$C$C have been hopeless - in many, many different ways - since their inception as a genuine govorning body (rather than the imperial relic they were before 1993) and many different things have failed to change that fact.

I'm sure the miracle may happen one day, but I'm pessimistic until I see that it has done so.

 

[Bracken]

Yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath, either.

 

[pup11]

I think ZIM is in no order to play cricket at all whether its odi cricket or test cricket due to the political problems in their country, so i think they should be stripped of their international status till the political situation of their country improves (and that might take a looooooooooonng time).

 

[Langeveldt]

Oh, yes, I quite agree.

But I'd also imagine that a black player critical of the Mugabe regime would be in with a considerably better shout than a white one not.

EDIT: other way around, as you can probably guess...

No, probably not actually, you'd be surprised.. I think it's pretty horrendous treatment regardless of skin colour in that country now.. You should see what Mugabe has done in some of the black locations... I'm not saying the board would take the same judgement, but seeing as it's an arm of the government...

 

[Langeveldt]

One hopes the Corrupt Political Regime in the Country doesn't have too much long to go before they run away or are captured...given the Economy is going from Bad to worse...It shouldn't be too long now ...

Never going to happen.. The only way Mugabe's regime will end is with his death..

 

[Nishant]

Zimbabwe should not play cricket at all (intenationally) IMO...they have too many problems at home and cant come up with a good team. But, that, is not a goodenough reason to kick them out....but their situation at home is good reason.

 

[Richard]

No, probably not actually, you'd be surprised.. I think it's pretty horrendous treatment regardless of skin colour in that country now.. You should see what Mugabe has done in some of the black locations...

Oh, I have a loose awareness of some of the stuff he's done - the bulldozing of the shacks, for instance.

Not actually sure what you meant, there, too, TBH. I said treatment is generally fairly regardless of skin-colour and you said basically the same thing.

 

[LA ICE-E]

You don't have to give them a chance (and it's not as if that's not been being done for the last decade or so) because you know exactly what will happen. There is precisely 0 chance of the board fixing anything, because the board is not a competent cricketing body, it is a subsidary of the govornment.

And as most people know, anything which has anything to do with Zanu-PF is automatically a hopeless case.

well then the chinese board is going to be like that too but still it's more of a formal thing.

 

[Richard]

It's more of a stupid thing, that's all it is. Absolutely nothing else.

And if China has similar problems, it does. But the entry of China as a serious cricketing power is far away.

 

[SJS]

No