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Lovemore Dube Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE Cricket have turned down an offer to play a Test match against South Africa before the March Twenty20 World Cricket Championships because the two countries are pencilled to clash later in the year.In an interview yesterday afternoon, ZC spokesperson Lovemore Banda confirmed that they would not be playing South Africa. He said the initial programme on the International Cricket Council Future Tours Programme was that Zimbabwe would clash with South Africa at home in two Tests.
He said the South Africans had now wanted to play one of the Tests next month which they felt would not be ideal ahead of the limited series championships.
“We have decided that we stick to the initial programme where we are to play them later in the year. It was felt that it is not ideal to play them over one Test ahead of the Twenty20 Championships. It would have been tight for us to do so even financially,” said Banda.
The move, however, could also have been affected by the disarray in domestic cricket in which the Logan Cup was halted owing to lack of funding.
“It was really going to be tight for us. We are happy though that some of our senior players in the Twenty20 team are already training, some are with the national Under-19 team,” said the ZC spokesperson.
Banda said the senior players who had boycotted training with their respective franchises, were back at work due to mediation talks between ZC and the lads’ representative Eliah Zimba.
Banda confirmed that they were in sponsorship talks with a company to sponsor domestic cricket. The prospective sponsors are believed to be Lays who are into potato chips manufacturing and are an international brand.
“We are in talks with a company which I am not at liberty to disclose its name at the moment. We are talking and like a man proposing love to a woman it’s better not to publicise their name and we will wait and see what comes off it. As of now we are engaging them hoping something good could materialise for our sport,” said Banda, a veteran broadcaster.
Asked how local cricket could be on its knees given that it appears one of the most successful disciplines, Banda explained that tours were an expensive venture.
He said bringing South Africa here left them at break even position.
“It costs between $650,000 and $800,000 to host a team. The moment they land here we have to provide an air conditioned bus, police escort, ununiformed security, air conditioned hotels, two rooms for the coach and the captain which are suites.
“Apart from that we have to provide food, water about five bottles per head per day of up to 25 people. The party is given $50 a day once matches commence and that money has to come from ZC. Wherever they travel here they have to be under escort and the same goes for referees as well. It is quite expensive having these tours with most of the countries not generating enough revenue,” said Banda.
He said the best sellers in terms of television rights were India, Australia and England. Every country he said wants to play India while England would not come here because of sanctions and Australia because of their government’s stance on Zimbabwe.
“We break even with South Africa, do extremely well against India and there is good business with Australia and England whom the rest of the world wants to watch,” said the ZC media man.
Zimbabwe Cricket owes its players a lot of money. The Lays’ sponsorship may not clear all the debt but might provide a cushion and help the local game get back to its feet once again.
The national cricket board is hoping that they will secure a loan from the ICC which could help the domestic season to continue with the limited overs game and the four-dayers. ZC are said to have completed their audit as demanded by the ICC last week as a condition for the money to be released.
The decision to give ZCC money could be made in Dubai today when the ICC meets. With debts believed to be close to $15 million, the $3 million from ICC could just be a drop in the ocean.
Online Reporter