Zimbabwe Cricket suspended by ICC due to political interference

This will have adverse affects on country's players, who have anyway been suffering for long due to poor administration.

Zimbabwe's decline since early 2000's has been extremely saddening | Getty

Failure to prevent government intervention in the administration of sport has seen Zimbabwe Cricket be suspended with immediate effect by the International Cricket Council (ICC) at its annual conference in London on Thursday (July 18). 

"The ICC Board unanimously decided that the Full Member had failed to fulfil their obligation to provide a process for free and democratic elections and to ensure that there is no government interference in its administration for cricket," an ICC statement reads. 

Subsequently, the ICC funding to Zimbabwe has been frozen and the country's teams will not be allowed to participate in ICC events until the suspension is lifted, putting in doubt the national side's presence at this year's men's T20 World Cup qualifying tournament in UAE. 

"We do not take the decision to suspend a Member lightly, but we must keep our sport free from political interference," ICC chairman Shashank Manohar said. "What has happened in Zimbabwe is a serious breach of the ICC Constitution and we cannot allow it to continue unchecked. The ICC wants cricket to continue in Zimbabwe in accordance with the ICC Constitution."

On June 21, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) - a state-owned enterprise reporting to the sports ministry of the country - suspended the Zimbabwe Cricket Board (ZC) following breach of the government laws over the process of election with which Tavengwa Mukuhlani got appointed as chairman of the board for a four-year term. 

ZC acting managing director Givemore Makoni was also reportedly banned from his position.

An interim committee including David Ellman-Brown, Ahmed Ibrahim, Charlie Robertson, Cyprian Mandenge, Robertson Chinyengetere, Sekesai Nhokwara and Duncan Frost was formed to run cricket in the nation.
 
The SRC claimed that it was forced to act after several complaints of violations of the constitution and other controversies.

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 19 Jul, 2019

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