Zim Cricket cash crunch set to affect player, staff salaries

ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) has been hit by a financial crunch which could affect salaries for all employees, including players.

In a memo circulated within the board and seen by ESPNcricinfo, Nesta Vaki, ZC’s head of corporate affairs and human resources, informed staff that they will only receive half their October salaries at the end of the month and that the organisation will “do its best to rectify the situation by end November 2017”.

A senior board official said the memo was dated October 25 and that it was “an internal operational matter which we are dealing with and trying to resolve as soon as possible”.

The official refused to elaborate on the reasons for the cash-flow problems and maintained that with payments due on October 30, no salaries have been affected yet. Several sources, however, have said that they do not expect payments to be made in full.

Though ZC’s structure of corporate governance has improved significantly in recent months, it has also incurred some hefty costs.

The ongoing two-Test series against West Indies in Bulawayo is set to be the board’s biggest expense this month and it has also spent money on hosting domestic competitions and upgrades for grounds to host the 2019 World Cup Qualifiers next March.

The issue, however, has not had any effect on cricket in Zimbabwe. Last season, the Logan Cup, the country’s first-class competition, was delayed several times after players opted to strike when salaries went unpaid.

Meanwhile, ZC released a statement saying it deeply regrets that confidential internal correspondence was deliberately leaked to the media and this created misinformation and is misleading.

In attempting to set the record straight, ZC said: “The decision to withhold part of the staff salaries was in order for ZC to balance its strained cash flows, and this course of action was advised to staff after ZC had exhausted all other possible alternatives.

“The situation is no different to any other company that is experiencing severe cash flow difficulties and ZC’s own legacy financial issues have been well publicised and are in the process of being addressed. ZC is grateful that its stakeholders appreciate that ZC’s legacy financial issues will take time to resolve, but are being addressed in a positive and meaningful manner.

“In the meanwhile, ZC would like to thank its loyal, dedicated and committed staff, and all those affected, for their patience, understanding and support as we deal with these ongoing challenges. ZC values all its staff, is mindful of the potential difficulties that this decision will cause, and is addressing these circumstances as a matter of top priority.” — ESPNcricinfo/ZC