Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) this week sank to an all-time low after it accused former Sports minister David Coltart of racism.
Coltart has been critical of ZC after a poor performance by the Chevrons in the red-ball cricket, calling for a rethink to rescue the situation.
This drew the ire of ZC which accused the former minister of waging a relentless smear campaign against the association, “targeting its black administrators with baseless accusations lacking any credible evidence”.
ZC said Coltart’s critique was far from constructive criticism, but fuelled by “personal bitterness and racial prejudice, aimed solely at undermining the integrity of selectors and administrators who operate under strict, merit-based and transparent processes”.
The shock attack came after the Chevrons’ dismal performance amid calls by critics to put all hands on deck to halt the slide.
The attack also came after Chevrons’ coach Justin Sammons admitted that some of the players lacked the drive and were not willing to take body blows for the sake of the team.
The team’s recent two-match Test series against New Zealand ended with a historic low — a 2-0 whitewash capped by an innings and 359-run defeat at Queens Sports Club.
The loss was Zimbabwe’s worst-ever in Test cricket, with their batsmen failing to score even 200 runs in any of their four innings.
This follows a difficult period of Test matches against England and South Africa, which also resulted in heavy defeats.
In situations like these, there ought to be a roundtable of stakeholders to map the way forward.
However, ZC appeared to have missed that, resorting to the race card.
Fans demand better from the team and expect administrators charged with superintending over the game to put in place a conducive environment for cricket teams to thrive.
They also expect administrators to take criticism for the betterment of the game.
Administrators who don’t want criticism are not there for the interest of the sport, but for selfish gains.
Coltart, like all the neutrals, is worried why teams playing Zimbabwe are consistently breaking records, a testament to the lack of resistance offered.
There have been questions about whether Zimbabwe is ready for Test cricket, given the poor outing. There have also been questions on the selection process, with a fan petitioning the Sports and Recreation Commission to investigate the alleged bias in team selection.
These are genuine questions that demand answers.Yet, ZC is seeking refuge in the race card.
The conversations so far show that ZC’s statement has found no takers.
Neutrals have refused to swallow it hook, line, and sinker. ZC must go back to the drawing board and chart a new course.
The starting point for ZC is to admit that results are not coming the team’s way, to be able to diagnose the problem.
ZC administrators must be reminded that when you are in a hole, you must stop digging.
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