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IN May this year we ran an editorial about the Centurion Pub & Grill in which we called for this iconic pub in Harare to be saved from collapse.
It is housed at Harare Sports Club and, for years, it has been the unofficial pub of Zimbabwe Cricket.
This is the pub where cricket fans flock to have a drink or chat about the game, whenever there is an international cricket match at Harare Sports Club.
When you visit the pub you will also see some of the best newspaper headlines related to some of the Chevrons’ finest hours framed for posterity and hung on the pub’s walls.
You will see some of the finest pictures of local cricketers also framed for posterity and hanging on the walls of this pub.
It is like a walk into the history of our cricket and you will see the famous The Herald street bill, “ZIM MURDER ENGLAND” also framed and hanging on the walls of this pub.
You will also see the famous picture of Australia, with nine players in the clip cordon, during a match against the Chevrons in 1999, hanging on the walls of this pub.
They say it was the first time in the history of cricket that a team had nine fielders in the slip cordon.
In May we reported that the iconic pub had hit hard times, workers hadn’t been paid since January and the management conceded that their business was in trouble.
Our argument was that the pub should not be shut down but we believe it should be taken over by Zimbabwe Cricket.
We felt that the ZC officials can use this pub not only as a revenue generation arm but also to preserve the history of the game.
We also argued that they can turn it into some sort of museum and cricket fans can go there and take a look at the history of the sport in this country.
Every cricket fan associates oneself with this iconic pub, which has served some of the world’s greatest cricketers.
It should not be allowed to be closed and we feel Zimbabwe Cricket have a big role to play to ensure that does not happen.
We are happy to report in one of our articles today that this iconic pub has been rescued.
New investors have taken over this pub and they are changing it in a very big way.
They have told us they are committed to ensuring that this pub gets back to its glory days and remains a library of some of our cricket’s greatest moments.
They have also ensured that the jobs of the workers at this pub, which were at stake, have been secured and they won’t go back to the horror days when they would go for months without being paid.
This is refreshing news because this is more than just a pub in Harare — it’s a big part of the history of our capital city.
Online Reporter