ICC Ignore Zimbabwe Strike

With major action due to be taken by nearly all of Zimbabwe’s first-class cricketers, the A team tour to Bangladesh is likely to be cancelled.

After captain Taibu’s resignation from ineternational cricket, the Zimbabwe players could take it no longer and have issued a warning to the ZCB and the ICC.

“We are standing down until two things are resolved by the board,” said Mahwire. “First they have to pay the players their match fees for the India and New Zealand fixtures. The second thing is Chingoka and Ozias Bvute [the ZC managing director] have to step down.” And Mahwire made it clear that the players were in no mood to compromise. Either Chingoka and Bvute go, or they go. “We will all walk away from Zimbabwe Cricket,” he warned. “We have made a stand and we stand by that. Its now or never. Basically what this would mean is the end of cricket in Zimbabwe.”

The news was met by Malcom Speed saying, “We watched what happened in Zimababwe,” said Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, while in Pakistan to watch the third and final Test with England. “There is a daily report on the Zimbabwe issue, but the ICC policy, which is made by its member countries and applicable to all, leave the internal matters to the respective country. At the ICC we think basically all internal matters should be dealt by the country concerned.”

“I am extremely saddened for the cricketers and people of Zimbabwe,” Speed added, and he hinted that the subject would be raised by its members soon. “This issue will come up next when Zimbabwe are to play Test or international cricket. I am sure the board will discuss the matter at its next meeting.”

Like Mahwire said, this efectively means the end for Zimbabwean cricket unless things change. For the last two years, Zimbabwe have been heading towards extinction, but nothing has changed and nor does it look likely that something will happen in the future.

With the ICC refusing to step in and Zimbabwe helpless to rectify itself, where will the change come from?