Comment : ZC must repay Government support by removing decay affecting our cricket

ZIMBABWE’S selection as a co-host for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is not a gift — it’s a stern test of our readiness, ambition and credibility as a serious cricketing nation.

This is not merely an opportunity to showcase our hospitality and scenery; it is a chance to prove that Zimbabwe belongs at the top table of world cricket.

On Monday, Vice President Chiwenga declared the nation ready to host, highlighting the construction of a new stadium in Victoria Falls.

But Zimbabwe Cricket must understand that this trust and support from the Government must be repaid with professionalism, vision and hard work.

A new, gleaming stadium means nothing if the foundations of our cricketing system remain broken. The dream hinges on more than concrete and steel — it demands a reckoning with the rot that has long plagued our game.

Victoria Falls, with its breathtaking landscape and international appeal, is a fitting location for a new stadium. It promises to be a magnet for tourists and cricket fans alike, blending sport with spectacle.

However, Zimbabwe Cricket must not allow this new project to overshadow the urgent need to renovate its existing venues.

Harare Sports Club and Queens Sports Club are the soul of Zimbabwean cricket.

They are institutions, not just venues.

To let them languish in their current state is a betrayal of our past and a dereliction of our duty. We need more than fresh paint; we need a complete gutting and rebuild.

That means world-class seating, hospitality that isn’t an embarrassment, modern player facilities, and broadcasting capabilities that don’t look like they’re from the last century.

These are not nice-to-haves; they are non-negotiable and essential if Zimbabwe is to be taken seriously as a host nation.
But let’s be brutally clear: infrastructure won’t win a single match.

The true measure of our success in 2027 won’t be the applause from foreign fans in a new stadium; it will be the performance of our national team.

We can’t just be the polite host, who bows out gracefully. We must be a formidable, ruthless competitor. This requires a complete overhaul of our cricketing ecosystem.

We need to stop pretending and start building. That means scrapping the broken grassroots programmes and building new ones that actually find and develop talent.

It means ruthlessly culling substandard coaches and demanding excellence. Our domestic league can’t be a sideshow; it has to be a brutal proving ground for future internationals.

We need to bring back our legends and tap into their knowledge —not for PR stunts, but to instil a winning culture that’s been absent for too long.

Zimbabwe has a cricketing history forged by titans like Andy Flower, Heath Streak and Tatenda Taibu.

The potential for greatness is still there, lying dormant, but it will not magically awaken.

It requires deliberate, sustained and significant investment. The 2027 World Cup should not be a destination; it should be the catalyst for a total revolution.

Cricket must become a national obsession, a shared project that unites the Government, the private sector and every single Zimbabwean.

The new stadium in Victoria Falls is a sign of our ambition, but it should only be a part of a larger, more impactful revolution.

The renovated Harare and Queens Sports Clubs represent our respect for our history, but only if they are fit for purpose. And in 2027, the national team must embody the raw, unyielding spirit of a nation that has finally woken up.

We can’t just host the World Cup.

We must rise with it. The ball is no longer in your field, Zimbabwe Cricket.

It’s in your hands. Do not drop it.