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Augustine Hwata Senior Sports Reporter
A MEMBER of Parliament has advised Zimbabwe Cricket to engage the European Union delegation to lobby for the removal of sanctions that have been weighing down heavily on the country’s second biggest sporting discipline.
Shurugwi South Member of Parliament, Tapiwa Matangaidze, who is also the former chairman of the Premier Soccer League, said ZC officials should try and engage the EU delegation to voice their concerns.
ZC president Peter Chingoka and former managing director Ozias Bvute have been targeted with travel bans into the EU but, more damaging to the game, has been the failure by England and Australia to come here for tours for political reasons.
The local cricket leadership estimate that they have lost more than US$30 million from the tours that England and Australia didn’t fulfil.
On Thursday, Chingoka appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Sport, Arts and Culture where he pointed out that their financial woes were worsened by their failure to host England and Australia in Test matches.
Matangaidze, who is a member of the Portfolio Committee, feels ZC can approach the EU delegation set to visit Zimbabwe next week and lobby to have England and Australia come to play here.
“It is imperative that ZC should take advantage of the visiting EU delegation to lobby for the removal of sanctions that have affected the game and its leadership,” said Matangaidze.
“The International Cricket Council should take a leaf from other sporting bodies like Fifa and IOC, who in spite of all the negativity over Zimbabwe, continue to engage us as a sporting nation.
“At the Fifa World Cup draw, if England are drawn to play Argentina, it’s likely to be a bruising challenge because of the Falkland Islands issue. So ICC should have no business in fuelling political tensions and should be seen to be promoting full and fair participation for all Test playing nations and even admonishing non-compliant nations.
“So Australia and England players should not be denied the chance to play their Zimbabwean counterparts at instigation of politicians.”
Another member of the same committee, Oliver Mandipaka was also convinced that ZC was in a financial quagmire as a direct result of the politics at play in England and Australia.
ZC pointed out that they are expecting to receive a grant from ICC next week to help them off-set some of their debts to players and institutions.
Online Reporter