ZC meets players in an attempt to avert strike

[eugene]

I have it on fairly good authority that ZC genuinely had no money in the bank to pay the players, but are expecting some more money this week.

Why of course they had no money to begin with is another, more complicated issue.

[Jemisi]

Time for us to see the books and sack the crooks - or if we are wrong and the admins are clean, get the chance for a new assistance package from the ICC

[zcfoutkast]

The time has come for Zimbabwe to be striped of full member status. Too corrupt, they've had chance after chance but have no interest in reforming their system. Ireland should be promoted in their place. It's disgraceful a board that won't pay their players is allowed sit at the top table and one that is doing everything in it's powers to develop a top class system is being ignored!

I wonder has B Taylor any Irish blood!!

There is no reason for ZImbabwe to be stripped of its Full Member status, and ireland will not replace anyone. The spot for Test side #11 is the only open slot for any new entrants, and their qualification for it has got nothing to do with the status of Zimabwe cricket or any other Full Memeber for that matter! As far as politics in cricket go, you display a rather naive take on things. Ireland will never get promoted alone. They will be promoted with Afghanistan or another "politically condusive" side.

I have it on fairly good authority that ZC genuinely had no money in the bank to pay the players, but are expecting some more money this week.

Why of course they had no money to begin with is another, more complicated issue.

That's refreshing! Facts and your source are finally in sync! The money is not there because it was spent on fulfilling part of the necessary approved budget.

Time for us to see the books and sack the crooks - or if we are wrong and the admins are clean, get the chance for a new assistance package from the ICC

The latter assumption is the only one which will prevail, but if we were to indulge your less accommodating lobe, who will sack them Mzukuru?

I recall pointing out to your like-mided fellows on the Roar, in response to Conant's rage, that Malcolm Speed' report at the time said “there was no compelling evidence of personal gain”. I'd like to think that for the most part after that report, ZC has in truth never had money. Which is why the extreme views are out of place and clutching at straws at best. Any hands that might have found their way into the cookie jar in that time would've yielded a clenched fist which completely conceals the immaterial gains they got away with.

[Jemisi]

I hope they haven't stolen anything, but that is unlikely. I hope they haven't mismanaged things, but that is even less likely. In any event, open up the books. Show us the paper trail if there is nothing to hide. Show it to the players and workers who haven't been paid in months, show some basic decency and respect for everyone with an interest in the game.

The ICC needs to lean on them if indeed they have been crooked.

[eugene]

ZC really do need more transparency. The money must have gone somewhere, pretty much everyone has said they are owed money and haven't been paid in awhile so it hasn't been used on salaries.

[wicor]

There is no reason for ZImbabwe to be stripped of its Full Member status, and ireland will not replace anyone.

You kidding me, Zimbabwe are a disgrace to the ICC. The amount of money Zimbabwe have been allocated and they won't even pay their players.

They cant afford to host any touring teams, Afghanistan have to pay their own way to play, the majority of good players have left the system, corruption is rife, need I go on?

Well if Zimbabwe were thrown out of the full members club the next member would be 10th?! And I'm not saying they will but if the ICC had any sense and wanted to develop the game they would promote Ireland to test level and give them Zimbabwe's allocation of funds. That money would bring Irish cricket to a whole new level. At this stage Ireland are probably better than Zimbabwe as it is.

The boards of Ireland, Holland and Scotland must look at the money poured down the drain that is Zimbabwe cricket and despair!! Imagine what they'd do with it!!

[brmtaylor.com admin]

You'd hope that the Test win against Pakistan has bought some time as it's hard to mount a case against Zimbabwe based on recent performance. It helps that they've won the odd limited overs match here and there, but the significance of that particular match can never be understated as Zimbabwe achieved in 2 years what Bangladesh haven't been able to do in 13 years and counting.

As long as the current core national squad of 15 can be kept together for the next few years, there shouldn't be any question about playing standards. All teams suffer from the occasional disaster match, admittedly Zimbabwe probably more than most, but at least we know the current Test team is capable of being better than competitive.

[Kopje]

There is no reason for ZImbabwe to be stripped of its Full Member status, and ireland will not replace anyone.

You kidding me, Zimbabwe are a disgrace to the ICC. The amount of money Zimbabwe have been allocated and they won't even pay their players.

They cant afford to host any touring teams, Afghanistan have to pay their own way to play, the majority of good players have left the system, corruption is rife, need I go on?

Well if Zimbabwe were thrown out of the full members club the next member would be 10th?! And I'm not saying they will but if the ICC had any sense and wanted to develop the game they would promote Ireland to test level and give them Zimbabwe's allocation of funds. That money would bring Irish cricket to a whole new level. At this stage Ireland are probably better than Zimbabwe as it is.

The boards of Ireland, Holland and Scotland must look at the money poured down the drain that is Zimbabwe cricket and despair!! Imagine what they'd do with it!!

Ireland will never be promoted just because Zimbabwe is having it's own internal problems. I am guessing you are Irish, your team is improving as a side and doing well but i doubt they have the depth to beat Zimbabwe. The ICC would not promote anyone at the expense of anyone no full member will vote for that (except ECB maybe), Ireland have their requirements to fulfil until the time comes. You take on this whole Zimbabwe issue is rather naive and based on assumption. Lets be realistic

[Kriterion_BD]

You'd hope that the Test win against Pakistan has bought some time as it's hard to mount a case against Zimbabwe based on recent performance. It helps that they've won the odd limited overs match here and there, but the significance of that particular match can never be understated as Zimbabwe achieved in 2 years what Bangladesh haven't been able to do in 13 years and counting.

As long as the current core national squad of 15 can be kept together for the next few years, there shouldn't be any question about playing standards. All teams suffer from the occasional disaster match, admittedly Zimbabwe probably more than most, but at least we know the current Test team is capable of being better than competitive.

As an outsider, I have to say that I agree with the guy calling for ZIM's place at the table to go to more deserving sides like Ireland...if the ICC are serious about "spreading" the game. There are quite a few corrupt and inept boards ranging from the PCB to the WICB, but the ZC has for 10 years taken things to every extreme.

The current ZIM side are competitive enough to warrant Test status, but its the administrative bullshit that just makes it quite pointless. The issues can actually effect other nations, particularly the lower ranked sides like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, NZ. Even if this current crisis is solved, ZC can always be expected to suffer a recurrent episode. ZIM cancelling the SL tour kind of put the SLC in a bit of a pickle, and they had to organize an ad hoc domestic tournament at the last minute to replace it. I'm sure someone was thinking "well if we didn't have to worry about ZC's sudden last minute cancellations, we could have scheduled a series with another team." And when all other teams are generally considered to be higher quality opposition and more lucrative draws too boot, it makes for an obvious situation.

Unfortunately, if these things continue what is going to happen is that ZC, already starved of cricket as it is, will be even more marginalized in terms of fixtures. Teams will opt not to schedule tours with ZIM as the risk of cancellation is high, and opportunity cost (a replacement series with another team) makes the risk even higher.

In particular, as a Bangladesh fan, we play almost as few Tests as ZIM, and our board would not be very happy with ZC if they cancelled a series due to a last minute strike or lack of funds because it would be quite hard for us to find a viable replacement series.

The best case scenario is one where ZC gets a whole new board of administrators, and if that doesn't happen, then the ICC should "babysit" by bankrolling the ZC in exchange for complete transparency. Since the former seems impossible, lets hope the latter happens because this situation doesn't just affect Zimbabwe's cricket alone.

[aydee]

I don't actually believe that there has been significant fraud from ZC suits. I don't see how they could get away with it. Mismanagement is another, somewhere subjective, concept. Certainly it would appear on the surface that ZC has employed (or attempted to employ; are you actually an employee of you don't get paid? Enslaved?) a bloated administration, but let's be honest, the realities of running a national sporting body are not familiar to any of us.

What is certainly true is that ZC, unlike every other board, gets precious little money from anywhere other than ICC handouts. No proper TV deal, no interest whatsoever from sponsors, no wealthy benefactors, little/no government support, tiny ticket sales... Then you must consider that the franchises are not capable of standing on their own feet either, and are really ZC regional sides as opposed to genuine, semi-independant franchises...

Worryingly, I can't see any of this really changing any time soon. To me it seems implausible that the ends will ever be able to meet. Without the ICC's money, cricket in Zim would be about as significant as lawn bowls...