adminRicky Zililo Sports Reoporter
MATABELELAND Tuskers Cricket franchise’s chief executive officer Stanley Staddon yesterday said they had requested to have more international matches starting off in Bulawayo. In March, it was announced that Bulawayo’s ceremonial home of cricket Queens Sports Club was going to play host to four international matches before the end of the year.
The first tourists to come to the City of Kings were Bangladesh who played two Twenty20 matches and the One-Day Internationals against the national team after first landing in Harare.
Last Saturday, India wrapped up their tour of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo where they played two of their five ODIs. When they came to Bulawayo, India had already won the series and Bulawayo matches were just dead rubbers and cricket fans’ reaction to that was pathetic as they did not come to the games.
Queens Sports Club will play host to a Test match against Pakistan from 10-14 September.
Pakistan will arrive in Harare on 19 August, for a month-long tour and are scheduled to play two Twenty20 International matches, three ODIs and a Test match.
Staddon said the schedules for the tours were determined by Zimbabwe Cricket but they had requested to have more matches starting in Bulawayo.
“What was initially agreed on according to the calendar of events that we received at the beginning of the year was to have the Sri Lanka tour starting in Harare before ending in Bulawayo and India first playing in Bulawayo. Unfortunately the ZC board and the cricket committee who have the final say on how the games are structured decided to have India starting in Harare.
“We are lobbying to have more matches starting in Bulawayo and we had hoped to get maybe Twenty20 games for Pakistan but now it’s too late to change the schedule. Our hopes now are that the Sri Lanka tour that comes in October starts in Bulawayo,” said Staddon. The Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket franchise boss said having international matches starting in Bulawayo will help draw support for the sport.
“In the past Bulawayo cricket crowds used to be better than Harare but that has changed lately. Maybe it’s because people feel that the matches coming here are dead rubbers but we have to move away from that line of thinking. If we manage to have matches starting at Queens Sports Club that will help us attract more spectators because there will be everything to play for,” said Staddon.
Queens Sports Club is home to the country’s three-consecutive seasons Logan Cup winners and hopes were high that Bulawayo cricket enthusiasts will be rewarded for their team’s performance by getting more international matches.
Online Reporter