Zimbabwe Cricket players go on strike

By Tichaona Sibanda
30 November 2005

One of the most powerful figures in Zimbabwe Cricket, Max Ibrahim, believes there is so much standing against Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute that they are fighting a losing battle to hang on to their posts. Ibrahim, a long serving convenor of selectors for Zimbabwe Cricket hinted that the two cricket strongmen will not survive growing calls to step down. Peter Chingoka is the President of Zimbabwe Cricket while Bvute is the managing director. He said it was unfortunate that the sport has been invaded by people who cannot differentiate a leg spinner from an off spinner, and bowler from batsman. He alleged certain individuals are being paid huge amounts of money to try and buttress Chingoka and Bvute’s positions in ZC. ‘I don’t believe these two gentlemen will still be in cricket by January. So much is against them. The Reserve Bank is investigating them. The Sports and Recreation Commission is investigating them. Six of the seven cricket provinces are against them. And for the first time in the history of cricket in the country, all players and administrators are united across all colour boundaries against them. The whole of Zimbabwe cricket black, white, blue and Asian are against the two individuals,’ said Ibrahim. Chingoka and Bvute are facing a revolt from the players who are demanding that the two step down from their posts. The players have also vowed not to avail themselves for selection if the two do not step down. ‘All of us will fight this to the end. There is no going back. If these two individuals stay on in cricket then it would be the end of the sport in the country,’ said Ibrahim. A Zimbabwe squad is set to travel to Bangladesh for the Asian cup tournament in January, but because of the standoff, the country might be forced to cancel the trip, an event that has not happened in cricket in Zimbabwe. This will eventually force the ICC to step in and sort out the crisis. Ibrahim, who is the also the chairman of Masvingo province said the International Cricket Council will be forced sooner rather than later to intervene in the crisis.