Peter Chingoka, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairperson, says the country will return to Test cricket in mid-2011 and its intention has already been tabled with the International Cricket Council (ICC) board.
Chingoka said at an awards ceremony in Midlands province recently that everything was on course for the country to return to the longer five-day version of the game. Zimbabwe quit Test cricket in September 2005 after political and racial turmoil resulted in a host of experienced players deserting the sport.
“We will be returning to Test cricket mid-next year and our first game will be against Bangladesh in May/June. The success of the franchise system, which posted positive results, gave us the confidence to make the decision to return to Test cricket.
“With the anticipated further growth through the arrival of Brian Lara and others we are confident we will be strong enough to maintain a competitive team,” he said.
Lara, the West Indies legend, was in Zimbabwe two weeks ago and hinted that he would return before the end of the year to play franchise cricket.
There are five franchises in the country, which play in the Logan Cup, and have attracted top coaches and players such as Jason Gillespie (Australia), Allan Donald (South Africa), Brendon Taylor, Andy Blignaut and Lara. The Matabeleland Tuskers franchise is expecting a pair from England, Adam Wheater and Paul Horton, and Kenya captain Steve Tikolo plays for Southern Rocks.
The franchise system was introduced last year and ZC gave each franchise $750 000 drawn from an ICC grant. ZC has a credible coaching team led by Briton Allan Butcher, with former captain Heath Streak as the bowlers’ coach and former Test captain Alistair Campbell as the chairperson of the selectors. Dave Houghton, Grant Flower and Stephen Mangongo are also part of the coaching crew.
ZC recently engaged specialist fast-bowling coaches Gillespie and Donald to help fine-tune the national team pace bowlers ahead of the return to Test cricket next year. Fast bowling has been Zimbabwe’s biggest letdown in limited-overs games in recent months.
Gillespie is a former Australian quickie and Donald is South Africa’s most celebrated speed star.
After it was announced that Zimbabwe was being readmitted into the elite group of Test-playing nations, fast bowling emerged as the major worrying factor.
ZC has continued to receive funding for the development of the game from the ICC, despite isolation from powerful cricket-playing nations and not being part of the longer version of the game.
The national association picks up the bulk of the bill of bringing high-profile names into the country.
Media reports have said the cricket body has put a payment structure into place for the franchises. Cricketers are divided into five grades. Most of the franchises’ top cricketers are in Grade X and pocket $5 000 a month. The second tier is the Grade A contracted players who take home at least $3 500. Then there are the Grade B players who pocket $2 000 a month. Grade C cricketers earn $1 500. The lowest grade are the Rookies who are paid a retainer of $300.
Top players such as Tatenda Taibu, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Gavin Ewing, Terrence Duffin and Charles Coventry are in Grade X.
The country’s franchises are Mountaineers, Mashonaland Eagles, Mid West Rhinos, Southern Rocks and Matabeleland Tuskers. All franchises receive money from ZC for their administrative and running costs. It is hoped they will become self-sufficient and attract their own sponsorship. The franchises are free to negotiate with any player, coach or staff to be part of their set-up.
“Franchises also have their own sponsors, which are private companies such as banks and other leading corporates, but the bulk of the money for foreign players comes from ZC from the grants through the ICC for the development of the game,” said an insider at ZC, who refused to be named.
Olive branch
Another boost for the game in Zimbabwe is that one of the main objectors to the return of Zimbabwe to mainstream cricket, New Zealand Cricket (NZC), has moved closer to resuming bilateral ties with the country after a five-year break.
It has named an A team to tour the country in October.
But New Zealand A’s tour will be finalised only after an inspection of the safety and security conditions in Zimbabwe.
The news is a boost to Zimbabwe after Scotland cancelled their visit to the country on the advice of the government of the United Kingdom.
“New Zealand Cricket, in liaison with the New Zealand government, has monitored the situation and we are comfortable with the improved conditions and stability in ZimbabÂwe,” Justin Vaughan, the NZC chief, said.
New Zealand A will play a two-day warm-up before three four-day matches against a Zimbabwe XI.
The ZC has extended an olive branch to former fast bowler Henry Olonga, now based in the UK. The relationship with Olonga soured when managing director Ozias Bvute kicked him out of the team in South Africa during the 2003 ICC World Cup after Olonga and Andy Flower (now England coach) wore black arm bands “to protest the death of democracy in Zimbabwe”.
Olonga, who became the first black person to play for the national team in 1995, has been campaigning for the return of Zimbabwe to Test cricket while promoting his book on his life. He revealed in the book that, when he left the country, he thought his life was in danger, but has since realised that he was just paranoid.
Olonga played 30 Test matches for Zimbabwe, taking 68 wickets with a bowling average of 38.52, and 50 one-day internationals, taking 58 wickets at an average of 34.08. He holds the record for the best bowling in a one-day international by a Zimbabwean, with figures of 6/19 against England in Cape Town in 2000.
Bvute told Cricinfo that Olonga was free to return to the country and help with efforts to reaffirm ZimbabÂwe’s standing in world cricket.
“Henry remains a hero to so many young kids in this country and I still hope he will change his mind and return to his country and help with our cricket renaissance,” said Bvute.
Although Olonga has said things were looking up for the country, he said he was still not convinced by the leadership of the sport, namely ÂChingoka and Bvute.
“We still have the issue of slightly suspicious gentlemen running the sport. I don’t really trust the man [Bvute] but he’s shown a genuine desire to re-engage with some of the former players. They have extended the olive branch to players such as Heath Streak and a few others to try to get some of these players back and involved in the running of cricket because their loss has cost the country,” Olonga told The Scotsman.
Bvute has urged Olonga to put the past behind him and return to the ZC fold.