ZC responds to David Coltart

[zimfan1]

ZC responds to David Coltart’s Facebook article on ZC’s decision to remove Andrew Waller from the post of batting coach

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[Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani.]

Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani.


Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and I have noted with serious concern David Coltart’s unfortunate remarks in a Facebook post accusing ZC of racism for making changes in the senior national team’s backroom set up that resulted in batting coach Andy Waller losing his job while bowling coach Douglas Hondo was redeployed to the Zimbabwe A side.

Coltart’s views are misplaced. We are not in the business of rewarding effort, we reward results. We do not consult him who we hire and fire. And as a matter of policy, we do not discuss employee issues in the media beyond making necessary announcements. Coltart does not need to be satisfied by our actions. The statistics he is quoting are not good enough to win us games. They are just numbers. They may be right in term of statistics but that does not win us matches. The scurrilous allegations that Coltart has made will not force us to deviate from the norm.

Suffice to say, we as the custodians of the game of cricket in Zimbabwe have the prerogative to make decisions that we believe will take the sport forward. And when we make changes to our coaching structures, we do not consider one’s skin colour as Coltart alleges.

ZC has approached Grant Flower to come back home and take up the batting coach position. Grant however indicated that he was serving his contract in Pakistan until July 2016. And again we do not need to seek Coltart’s approval on that. And it must be noted that when he left ZC the Board did not get rid of him as is being alleged by Coltart. He resigned to take up a coaching position in Pakistan.

Alistair Campbell resigned according to the communication that he sent. He had personal frustrations stemming from unfulfilled promises that had been made to him by then chairman Wilson Manase. He said the final nail on the coffin was that his son had not been selected in the U19 squad for the World Cup. He was also frustrated that ZC had not appointed his son’s coach within its structures. Campbell then proposed to be a consultant to ZC, working 3 months in a year earning a huge monthly salary, with school fees being paid for his children at Falcon, 3 regional trips and 3 international trips per year. This proposal was denied by ZC.

Coltart claims that the current board removed key responsibilities from Campbell. The only change is that domestic cricket was assigned to the Game Development department and rightfully so because domestic cricket falls under development. The Manase board had created the post of Director Game Development without assigning the responsibilities. And so when the new board came in it had to assign the domestic cricket function to the new director of Game Development. The commercial aspect was never taken away from him. Even if any responsibility had been taken from Campbell we cannot work on the basis of comments from the gallery. ZC must be able to evolve on its own.

All the black players that Coltart boasts of now were coached by Stephen Mangongo and simply because Mangongo is black he cannot give him that credit. Taibu, Chigumbura, Masakadza, Sibanda, Utseya, Chibhabha were coached by Mangongo. Coltart only knew them when they were in the national team whereas Mangongo knew them when they were in grade 3 facing resistance from the same people that he said should take over ZC. And where was Coltart? Are these players not a product of a sound development system?

The problem with Coltart is that he thinks an ex-cricketer is only a white player. For instance he gave the famous interim chairman Manase the instruction to engage Stuart Carlisle, John Rennie, Ray Price, Heath streak, Wayne James. Any names suggested outside Coltart’s bank of white cricketers is incompetent, not good enough. In one of his instructive emails to Manase, he suggested that Taibu be brought in as a selector just so that the race card would not be played and that Manase would not appear to be an Uncle Tom.

Manase was on the ZC board since 2006. He became vice chairman in 2011 and interim chairman July 2014. How is it that all of a sudden Manase was never part of the decision making process for all this time he was on the ZC board. How does he all of a sudden become dissociated with all the decisions of the previous boards? The only reason why Manase would be a good chairman is that he took orders from Coltart. For example, soon after his appointment as interim chairman of the ZC board he was given a 4 point action plan by Coltart through a lengthy email which is in my possession. The action plan started by firing Mangongo, then national team coach, before the World Cup. Manase worked as Coltart’s subordinate at Legal Resources foundation and as his protégé he can only believe in him and no one else.

If Coltart is sincere about fighting racism in ZC we would have expected to get a similar lengthy article from him responding to Vermeulen after he called black cricketers ‘apes’.

Queens Sports Club and Harare Sports Club immensely benefitted from hosting the 2003 world cup but surprisingly the person who claims he stands for cricket vigorously fought for New Zealand, Australia and England not to come and play here citing human rights abuses as if denying the locals from watching cricket played here was not in itself an abuse of human rights.

The current board which he points as racist and claims wants to destroy cricket made the following proposals for appointments:
1. Trevor Gripper to be on the cricket committee and he turned the down the offer.
2. Ray Price to be on the cricket committee and to be the U19 specialist bowling coach and he turned down the offer.
3. We have approached Whitestone primary school to give us representation on the development committee and the offer was turned down.
4. Ruzawi has declined to give us their coach for national U13.
5. St George’s declined for their school to serve on the development committee.
6. Gregory Lamb was offered the appointed U19 batting coach post and he has taken up the post.

It would appear that to Coltart the only thing that is deemed correct is when a black man appoints a white man. Racism is only racism when Coltart feels that a white man has been hard done. He has been silent about Prosper Utseya and Vermeulen.

Can Coltart become just an ordinary cricket fan like everyone else and stop being an administrator, coach and selector. He quotes many times that he has been advised – as who? Coltart is at liberty to contest in any portfolio and become an administrator or apply for these jobs rather than make unjustified conclusions.

TAVENGWA MUKUHLANI
ZIMBABWE CRICKET CHAIRMAN

[Robbo]

That could almost have been written by hhm. Bullish language used by the new chairman. Worrying.....

[Googly]

His first major statement subsequent to his appointment is a direct attack on Coltart. It will have the desired effect, everyone will close ranks for a while and forget about the missing ten million dollars. If it wasn't tragic it would be funny.

[Googly]

The problem with firing coaches for lack of cricketing performance is that it will have to be done so often who do you reappoint? You end up recycling the same old people. They need to look at the development and age group coaches and subject them to the same ruthless strategies. Unfortunately the problem is these teams only go to SA and play development and provincial sides who are usually on the same level as us. They should play a couple of games against the top schools that don't have to adhere to quota to see where we are really at! It won't be pretty. Yes, what I'm saying is our national age group sides won't beat a top SA school but may beat a provincial side!! The reality of quota is there for all to see.

It would be good if the Board and administrators were subjected to the same public scrutiny that the players were. I fear Mr Mukhulanhi's tenure is not going to work well for us.
I'm taking a break from this until some good news comes along, it's not good for the soul to be permanently bitter and angry. As you were, Gentlemen.

[SpitfiresKent]

There's just so much going on at ZC, it's hard to keep up with all of it!

[Googly]

Sorry one last go. There has just been an expose of yet another 10 million going missing and no one cares? The only people that can change this are the black guys but they continue to do nothing year after year and now it's too late and it's deserved. You reap what you sow.

[sure-shot]

Lets commend the chairman for having tried to bring in those ex-cricketers (Lamb, Price & Gripper). This is the way to go...Am also glad he had Grant in mind, not Mufaro who some deluded nutcase on this forum was proposing. These are investments no worth squandering...

[bayhaus]

There's just so much going on at ZC, it's hard to keep up with all of it!

Dude we are just scratching the surface here, barely!

Well if this is what we can expect from the new Chair I am certainly looking forward to it. Means we are going to learn a lot about whats happening. I like Coltart but for a lawyer he does run his mouth a bit too much and for a person of influence I wouldnt expect him to jump to FB but to actually approach these peeps, as an elder. He would get more respect. Thats why I question the motive of such.

Anyway for once we have the facts from the chairman himself! For us to discuss, surely these won't be disputed or can they? Googly & jontym87 is Mukuhlani lying here?

Andy Waller was bound to go for this — Going down to Afghanistan.

Muku didnt deny the claims or justify them the Makoni one is truly scandalous! I say let all the cats come out the bag, waiting to hear from Ac when december comes and he has not been paid whats outstanding to him.

Everyine seems to be speaking on Manase's behalf what does he have to say in all this. Again he will also not have anything to say. ALL the people who go off quietly with a wealth of information on ZC are to blame for the current status quo.

[aydee]

All these administrators in suits running their mouths off. It's depressing and a little pathetic. I'm not taking anyone's side here at all. It's just miserable how all the attention is on these political squabbles. Who loses out? The players and fans. Like normal. Roll on the domestic season. I want some cricket to talk about.

[Jemisi]

It is good that they offered jobs to some of those guys, but hardly a commendation of ZC that they were rejected so frequently.