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Ngqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Cricket board is going to announce the new senior national cricket coach at the end of the month with just six weeks to prepare for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.
Concerns have been raised on social media on the readiness of the coach, selection panel and squad for the most prestigious cricket tournament in the world.
Lovemore Banda, the Zimbabwe Cricket spokesperson, said they had received applications from coaches and interviews will be done after Christmas.
“We have received some applications for the post and we will be conducting the interviews just after Christmas,” said Banda
He said before the end of this month they would have appointed the coach.
“We will most probably name a coach before the month ends, the new coach will have ample time to prepare a squad for the World Cup expected to start in eight weeks,” said Banda
Chrispen Chirenge, a Zimbabwean cricket fan, posted on the Zimbabwe Cricket Facebook page raising a concern that there won’t be enough time for the new coach to prepare for the World Cup that starts on February 13 next year.
“We might celebrate on the firing of Stephen Mangongo, I wonder if people have considered that by the time a new coach is named there will only be six weeks left before the World Cup, these guys are going to embarrass the nation worse than they did in Bangladesh if they are not well prepared unless they already have a squad they have already chosen and preparing as we speak because other countries are already at it while we are still trying to find a coach,” said Chiringe.
Banda dismissed the fears.
“All that speculation on social networks is incorrect, there’s a long selection process and a lot to be considered in choosing a suitable coach, every application will be taken seriously,” said Banda
“There are new developments in the selection panel with the head coach, his assistant, the captain and Babu Meman, a long-serving administrator of the game taking part in the process,” he said.
Mangongo lost his job as Zimbabwe cricket team coach last week five months after being ushered into the hot seat, and eight weeks before the start of the 2015 ICC World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.
Mangongo presided over the disastrous tour of Bangladesh where Zimbabwe suffered the humiliation of a 0-3 whitewash in the Test series, and 0-5 in the ODI series.
Online Reporter