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Zimbabwe
: Cricket amidst Fear
An Article on Zimbabwe's Cricket Crisis by Venkat
Cricket in Zimbabwe over the weeks has hit an all time
low with as much as 13 "non-black" players pulling out due to failed
negotiations with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU). Ever since the anarchist
Robert Mugabe government was sworn in again, it has always been opportunistic
racism that has swept over every field of life, including sports and the latest
victim of this racialization domestic policy of the Mugabe regime is the game of
Cricket, with Heath Streak becoming the sacrificial goat ! The state of affairs
in this country in relation to cricket is deteriorating day by day and it would
be difficult for this trouble-torn nation to regain momentum from a possible
depth in decline.
While senior players like Heath Streak, Grant Flower
and Raymond Price continued to represent Zimbabwe without breaking their silence
over the atmosphere of threat and fear they were in, Andrew Flower and Henry
Olonga took a brave step forward by demonstrating against the
"undemocratic" rule in Zimbabwe. Before Flower and Olonga quit, two of
the most prominent Zimbabwean cricketers Neil Johnson and Murray Goodwin left
Zimbabwe as they could not sustain the racial intolerance and their family
refused to live in a stife-torn nation. The post-2003 World Cup scenario in
Zimbabwe proved to be an indication towards the decline of meritorious selection
policy and a new phase in cricketing history, where it was not the runs scored
or the wickets taken that mattered, but the colour of the skin ! Such days were
rare in International cricket, but in Zimbabwe, the colour of a player defines
his allegiance to the Zimbabwean political circles. There have been rumours
regarding the 13 players who pulled out from the Zimbabwean team moving and
settling down in Australia, should the talks between the players and the ZCU
fall out.
The Zimbabwe Cricket Union, which is headed by a black,
Peter Chingoka, has tried its own means to prove its allegiance to the Mugabe
regime by appointing the former political advisor to Mugabe, Stephen Mangongo as
the convener of the selection committee, which is an indication of how the ZCU
is a lame listener and influenced by the anti-White policy propagated by the
Zimbabwe government. It is learnt that Mangongo is the chief architect behind
the sacking of Heath Streak, as he wanted a Black player to be appointed the
skipper of the Zimbabwe team, which according to me is ridiculous ! One must
feel sorry for Brendan Taylor, the only non-black member of the Zimbabwean team
playing Sri Lanka at home, who has to look beyond his skin colour and take the
opportunity he gets to represent his country. The game of cricket has not yet
reached the black population in plenty and those who have chosen to play cricket
and are selected in the international scene, are finding it difficult to cope up
with the nitigrities of International Cricket.
At this juncture, where the ZCU and Zimbabwe cricket is
battling for survival in the International Cricketing community, the ICC has a
crucial role to play in the game's future in this country. All remedial measures
should be taken to redefine the game of Cricket in Zimbabwe, which may also
include a temporary suspension from Cricket, until there is a fade in anarchy,
racism and a considerable distance by the ZCU from the Zimbabwean Government.
According to International Sport Laws, "a governmental body cannot assume
institutional control over a sporting body and if this law deems to be violated,
the country gets a minimum suspension for 2 years" and this is something
the ZCU will have to watch out for with regards to its loyalty with the Mugabe
government.
Today, Zimbabwean cricket is sinking in trouble waters
and ensuring its rebirth will be a Herculean task for the authorities. I guess
the players like Stuart MacGill (who has opted out of the Australian tour of
Zimbabwe), who bravely has put his conscience ahead of his career are moving in
the right direction simply because player safety always does come first !
Cricket in Zimbabwe is a clear indication of how cricket and politics are
engaged in a marriage of convenience, where the political ideals of a Government
influences an independent autonomous sporting body and forces it to move closer
to being a Government-endorsed institution. We hope to see the reconciliation of
the distanced "white" players and hopefully there will be better days
to talk about in Zimbabwean cricket history.
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