Zimbabwe cricketers express their grief after ICC suspension

The likes of Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor have been left dejected after the ICC move.

This marks another dark chapter in the history of Zimbabwe cricket | Getty

The ICC on Thursday (July 18) suspended Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect due to political interference in the governance of sport. 

"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.

Funding to Zimbabwe has been frozen and the country's teams won't be allowed to participate in any 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. 

Meaning, careers of some of the most well renowned national players are on hold and they are left contemplating options, even the ones outside the cricket field. 

Sikandar Raza, the all-rounder, who has played 12 Tests, 97 ODIs and 32 T20Is for the country, was the first to respond to the major crisis when he took to Twitter and wrote: "How one decision has made a team , strangers
How one decision has made so many people unemployed 
How one decision effect so many families 
How one decision has ended so many careers 
Certainly not how I wanted to say goodbye to international cricket. @ICC"

Veteran Brendan Taylor, whose 15-year-long career for Zimbabwe has seen him feature in 28 Tests, 193 ODIS and 34 T20Is followed Raza and stated: "@ICC It's heartbreaking to hear your verdict and suspend cricket in Zimbabwe. The @ZimbabweSrc has no government back round yet our Chairman is an MP? Hundreds of honest people,players, support staff,ground staff totally devoted to ZC out of a job,just like that." 

Top-order batsman Solomon Mire, another player quite deflated by the happenings, went to the extent of announcing his retirement from international cricket on Friday. 

"It has been a week of emotional highs and lows in sport and sadly not a good one for Zimbabwe cricket but just wanted to officially address everyone else," Mire wrote in a Facebook post, having played 2 Tests, 47 ODIS and 9 T20Is for Zimbabwe. 

"I informed the players and tech staff of my decision at the end of the recent tour and wanted to formally announce my decision to retire from Zimbabwe cricket in all formats with immediate effect."

Solomon Mire | FacebookActually, the move from ICC was a follow up act to Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) - a state-owned enterprise reporting to the sports ministry of the country - and its decision to suspend Zimbabwe Cricket Board after a breach of the government laws over the recent election process. 

An interim committee 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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