Chingoka mourns Pichanick

Sports Reporter
FORMER Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka says veteran sports administrator, Alwyn Pichanick, was an endless fountain of knowledge from which he drew guidance to lead the national game. Pichanick, a former Sports Commission chairman and ZC boss, died in Australia and is expected to be buried near Brisbane on Friday. He had been battling cancer for some time. Widely respected as one of the finest legal minds to emerge from this country, Pichanick led Zimbabwe Cricket for a long time, including when the Chevrons first appeared at the World Cup in 1983 in the United Kingdom.

Under the captaincy of Duncan Fletcher, that group of Zimbabwean cricketers shocked the world by beating Australia at that global showcase. Pichanick also laid the groundwork for the country’s acceptance as one of the only few countries in the world who are admitted into the Test arena. Chingoka said he had lost a pillar of strength.

”Alwyn was an endless fountain of knowledge to me, the one I always turned to for guidance when I had the responsibility of leading our cricket and I always found his input to be the best and it helped us a lot, especially during the early years of our time as a Test cricket nation. When they say cricket is a game for gentlemen, they must have people like Alwyn in mind because he was simply that – a man of integrity and who would always strive to make sure that we become better as a nation. He was very passionate about cricket, in particular, and all the other sports disciplines in general and while he was a man of very few words, everything he said was worth its weight in gold. It’s sad that he is no more but I also believe we have to celebrate the chance that we were given to be in his company because it’s not every generation that gets such a privilege and we will miss him a lot,” said Chingoka.

Chingoka said the history of Zimbabwe Cricket will never be written fully without reserving a number of chapters to the massive contribution which Pichanick made.

”He was a pillar of our strength, the one who always provided some light in the darkness and the great thing about Alwyn is that he always meant what he said, never one to mislead you, and we will always cherish his great contribution to cricket in particular and sport in general.”