Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) says it attempted to engage former Sports Minister David Coltart for his views on the state of the game following the country’s failure to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the Bulawayo mayor insists the board is spreading falsehoods.
Coltart, who has consistently accused ZC of nepotism and racially biased team selection, remains one of the most vocal critics of the local game’s decline. His criticism intensified last week after ZC chairperson Tavengwa Mukuhlani told reporters that the board had formally approached Coltart as part of its post-mortem process.
According to Mukuhlani, the outreach was part of an inquiry established by ZC in December to review the sport’s entire structure.
“We engaged Coltart to share his opinion on the state of cricket,” he said, explaining that an independent committee had been tasked with gathering views from stakeholders.
A letter signed by ZC managing director Givemore Makoni and addressed to Coltart confirmed the invitation.
“I am writing to inform you that the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Board, at its meeting held in Harare on 20 December 2023, appointed an Inquiry Committee to look into Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and to review the entire Cricket Affairs structure at ZC.
“The Inquiry Committee is made up of myself as the chairperson and two other members, Messrs Godfrey Nyadongo and Blessing Ngondo. As part of our formal procedures, we will be conducting interviews with various stakeholders in cricket. As a crucial stakeholder, we believe your views will greatly assist us in understanding the issues affecting the sport.
“Accordingly, you are requested to attend an interview at 10am on Saturday, 6 January 2024, at Mhishi Nkomo Legal Practice in Harare. Please note this meeting is entirely a fact-finding exercise and will culminate in a report to be presented to the Zimbabwe Cricket Board,” read the letter.
Coltart, however, says the suggestion that he snubbed the engagement is misleading. Writing on his X account, he accused ZC of dishonesty.
“It is another brazen lie that I ignored the offer made to me by ZC in 2023. Lloyd Mhishi will confirm that I met with him and conveyed my sentiments. The problem is that virtually everything I spoke about then has been ignored or disregarded,” he wrote.
The spat has once again highlighted the gulf between administrators and critics at a time when Zimbabwean cricket is struggling to reclaim its place on the international stage.
