ICC gives Zimbabwe till October 8 to reinstate suspended cricket board or face permanent termination
Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has ordered the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) to reinstate the Tavengwa Mukuhlani - led suspended Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) board by October 8, 2019, or risk losing its membership, an official source told PANA here Wednesday.
The SRC has been given up to October 8 “so that the ICC Board can review the matter when it convenes on 12 October 2019 for its next meeting”.
This comes following the decision by the ICC at their Annual Conference last week to suspend Zimbabwe after the former governing cricket body failed to hold democratic elections due to government interference.
“You are also required to provide satisfactory evidence to ensure that the Zimbabwe Cricket will administer its affairs free of external interference and influence,” the ICC said in a letter to SRC on Wednesday.
The ICC insisted each of its members “must at all times manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government interference”.
Mukuhlani, who is the chairman of the suspended ZC board together, with his board members were all suspended by Zimbabwe’s sports authority, SRC, last month for failing to adhere to a directive not to hold their elective annual general meeting.
The directive was issued to allow the SRC to investigate alleged corruption activities, acts of misconduct and financial impropriety committed by the Mukuhlani-led board.
The suspended ZC board include Mukuhlani, its acting managing director Givemore Makoni, Sylvester Matshaka, Tafadzwa Madoro, Godwin Dube, Ronald Chibwe, Godfrey Nyadongo, Fiona Ndlovu, Arthur Maposa, Bornface Machuwaire, Lincoln Bhila, Maureen Kuchocha, and Lloyd Mhishi.
In place of the suspended ZC board, the SRC appointed an interim team consisting of Dave Ellman-Brown (chairman), retired Justice Ahmed Ibrahim, Charlie Robertson, former Mashonaland Cricket Association chairman Cyprian Mandenge, Robertson Chinyengetere, Sekesai Nhokwara and Duncan Frost.
Meanwhile, Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation minister Kirsty Coventry has said the decision taken by the ICC to ban Zimbabwe was cold-hearted and immoral because it had hurt the players more.
The ICC suspension on Zimbabwe has meant a freeze on funding to cricket and all international matches involving the country’s national teams.
“I would want ICC to understand that the decision that was taken by the SRC was to try to help clean up Zimbabwe cricket. I would also want them to understand that their decision has hurt our players and for a governing body that is something that should never be done,” Coventry said.
“Sitting on the International Olympic committee, looking at the decisions that we have to take as a board, the athletes have always been put first.
“We have always found a way to make sure that the athletes don’t get hurt by something they have absolutely no control over. For me, that has been the biggest disappointment with this decision from the ICC as I feel that hasn’t been given any consideration.”
-0- PANA TZ/VOA 24Jul2019
