Cricketing controversies-Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe saga
Zimbabwe suspend themselves from Tests
January 18, 2006
The interim board that is currently in charge of Zimbabwe cricket has chosen to suspend the national team from Test cricket until early next year.
The decision, which was announced at a meeting in Harare on Wednesday, means that Zimbabwe's two-Test tour of the Caribbean, scheduled for April and May, will now not take place, despite earlier assurances to the contrary from Peter Chingoka, the chairman.
Given that Chingoka met with the ICC chairman and chief executive, Ehsan Mani and Malcolm Speed, last week, it is inconceivable that this course of action was not discussed. As was the case when Zimbabwe excused themselves from Test cricket in 2004, it is likely to have been done with the ICC's blessing and been welcomed at their headquarters in Dubai.
Though they are to sit out of Test cricket for the foreseeable future, Zimbabwe Cricket remains hopeful that the five-match one-day leg of their Caribbean tour will go ahead as planned. The news, however, will not go down well with the West Indies board who less than a week ago were assured by Chingoka the full tour was on.
"While the side goes through the programme to prepare it adequately for the rigours of Test cricket, ZC has no doubt that the team will be competitive in its ODI commitments under the Future Tours Programme," added Chingoka, who hoped that the team would resume its Test status on the tour to Sri Lanka in February 2007.
According to a ZC press release, the decision to suspend its participation in Test matches was reached after consideration of the recent performances by the national and A teams. "The young teams remain full of potential and hopes abound for their development into a strong and competitive performer on the Test arena.
"ZC is now putting in place a programme to galvanize the development of the Zimbabwe squads," the release concluded. "It will work with other Test nations and the ICC itself to realize this objective."



Comments on this issue:
· The first sensible move that it has made in a long time
· The brains behind today's announcement was not Peter Chingoka, the board's increasingly isolated and discredited chairman. It was the ICC pairing of Ehsan Mani and Malcolm Speed. Mani and Speed held private talks with Chingoka in Karachi in Mid January.
· It was unlikely that Zimbabwe could have raised a side to tour the Caribbean capable of taking a Test match beyond two days
· It is quite possible that other boards added to the pressure by making it clear that playing Zimbabwe was a financial disaster in the making they would no longer entertain
· By continuing to play one-day cricket, Zimbabwe will keep themselves in the shop window - albeit, in a dusty corner of it - and allow their players the international exposure they have to have to be encouraged to continue
Supporting comments
Last Test series that Zimbabwe played was versus New Zealand in Aug 2005
Results
1st Test
Harare
New Zealand won by an innings and 294 runs
2nd Test
Bulawayo
New Zealand won by an innings and 46 runs
Before that Zimbabwe played India and lost the series 2-0 to India. Both were comprehensive wins.
Zimbabwe has also been plagued by White players rebellion and only white player playing is Heath Streak. Team has been in tatters after both the flower brothers retired and Henry olanga left for England.