By Evans Dakwa
It is congratulations to the Chevrons, for replicating the feat achieved by their women counterparts by clinching gold at the African Games in Ghana after defeating nemesis Namibia. That the victory was achieved against Namibia, a country that denied us a spot at the next ICC T20 World Cup makes it even sweeter.
As cricket fans and Zimbabweans at large revel in the achievements of the two teams, it should be a no business as usual approach from the administrators of arguably the second most popular sport in Zimbabwe after soccer. We reached a new low last year, a full ICC member failing to qualify to a world cup, falling short in a tournament we were pitted against minnows in associate nations.
This victory by both male and female chevrons teams is a silver lining in a sport that has flattered to deceive. The performance of a largely developmental side at the African Games is clear testament that talent is there. Our failures therefore can never be attributed to lack of talent but our collective inability to nurture it.
The co-hosting of the 2003 World Cup popularised the game of cricket and even on the dusty roads of rural Goromonzi, cricket was the sport of choice. We are losing a lot of talent along the way and it is one of the reasons we are failing to kick on from the immense potential we have shown.
Once upon a time, we had vibrant cricket academies , who can forget about Takashinga ? It churned out good junior players from the heart of one of the oldest high density suburbs in Harare, Highfields.That vibe is no longer there and the hype which cricket once had has waned except for the Castle corner supporters!
What am I saying? The Tavengwa Mukhuhlani led executive needs to sit down, identify where we are losing it and come up with a strategy that works for Zimbabwe to not only compete but win at international level. The ICC in it’s wisdom. Did not make us a full member for no reason! The giant must rise and it can if all cricket hands are put on the deck. Even though I am not a seasoned cricket administrator but some of the gaps are there for all to see
Zimbabwe is in dire need of a Cricket High performance centre, one that accommodates and nurtures talent that is being identified from a robust grass root development program. The high performance centre of cricket excellence help us set up national age group teams and their equivalent A sides from as low as under 11. There is no way a player who is being well coached from the age of 10 can fail to develop into a world class player.
We must take advantage of South Africa, a cricket powerhouse nation to help us develop. I am very sure that if we talk to our counterparts we can have our A side participating in their Franchise Cricket System , the Zimbabwe Rugby Union does have some kind of arrangement similar or close to that, what stops ZC from.pursuing such an arrangement? We need to be proactive and develop our systems of cricket, an efficient ecosystem is what the doctor ordered.
The achievements of both the lady Chevrons and the men’s team at the African Games have demonstrated the immense talent and potential within Zimbabwean cricket. However, sustaining this success and becoming more competitive requires a concerted effort from cricket administrators. By focusing on grassroots development, enhancing infrastructure, investing in coaching and high-performance programs, strengthening domestic competitions, and providing international exposure, Zimbabwe Cricket can lay the foundation for a golden future.