da aviator aposta： Zimbabwe cricket was rarely out of the headlines in 2004, but sadly for all the wrong reasons
Martin Williamson18-Jun-2007
Heath Streak lost the fight with the ZCU but stayed to fight bigger battles© Getty Images
Zimbabwe cricket was rarely out of the headlines in 2004, but sadly forall the wrong reasons. But a year which had at times threatened Zimbabwe’svery future on the international stage ended with signs that the futuremight not be all gloomy. But as with so much in Zimbabwe, the shootscould so easily be crushed.The year was dominated by the Heath Streak affair. What at first seemedto be a little local difficulty between Streak and some of the nationalselectors rapidly escalated into something far more serious – a schismbetween the old guard and the new. The row was about cricket but was abattle repeated across so many walks of life under the government ofRobert Mugabe.The affair rumbled on throughout the summer, with both sides growingincreasingly polarised and accustations flying here, there and everywhere. By the time the ICC sat to hear both sides’ arguments, most people were heartily sick of the whole situation.In the end there were no winners. Streak and his fellow rebels lost their fight, undermined by public indifference, some PR for their own goals, and the desire of the ICC to wash over the whole affair and get on with the game. A few atrikers drifted back, others emigrated, and one or two, including Streak himself, stayed to fight bigger battles.The Zimbabwe Cricket Union claimed victory, but it was at best pyrrhic, and several of its leading officials emerged with reputations severely tarnished. In October it reinvented itself as Zimbabwe Cricket, with a logo allegedly designed by chairman Peter Chingoka’s wife but seemingly knocked up by one of his pre-school nephews.The massive – and expensive – rebranding exercise was aimed at drawing a line under the old regime. But it was a disastrous own goal, attracting the anger of many stakeholders of all colours and political persuasions, and the year ended with civil war looming and the Logan Cup, Zimbabwe’s domestic competition, facing a series of boycotts.But there were reasons to be cheerful. The youngsters thrown into the lion’s den by the strike initially looked like rabbits caught in car headlights, but despite some heavy defeats, they started to show that they might be up to the task and that there was some real talent. In the Under-19 World Cup, Zimbabwe’s youngsters hinted at what the future might hold when they skittled Australia for 73, Tinashe Panyangara taking 6 for 31, to eliminate the favourites from the main competition.And away from the international spotlight, those few journalists who were eventually allowed into the country to report on the England tour – and the government’s attempt to ban a random selection of scribes showed up the ZCU’s claims to be apolitical for the joke many always suspected – sent back stories of the ability on show at some of the country’s clubs and schools.On the field, Zimbabwe were probably overtaken in Tests and one-dayers by Bangladesh – January’s series will confirm each country’s standings – and ended the year as cricket’s whipping boys.Even without the defection of 15 players – the reality was that onlyhalf a dozen of them were losses to the national side – Zimbabwe facedgrowing difficulties on the field. The year began with drubbing afterdrubbing in Australia’s VB Series, and went downhill from there.
Tatenda Taibu: moulded a side from close to nothing© Getty Images
Admittedly, the home Test series against Bangladesh was won 1-0, but itwas a struggle, as was the subsequent one-day series which Zimbabweedged 2-1 (giving them their only two wins from 25 ODIs during 2004).After the strike, the results took on an even more distorted feel, andrarely can a series have been as unappetising and one-sided as the oneagainst Sri Lanka which followed.Australia’s visit in April and May was overshadowed by politicalargument and a growing feeling among the tourists that they didn’t wantto be there. The one-day series was won by Australia 0-3 – they barelybroke sweat – and, mercifully for cricket as whole, the subsequent Testseries was postponed at the 11th hour. By the time Zimbabwe resumedtheir international commitments, against England in November, they weredeveloping a hardened shell.The inexperience was still all too evident and will undermine Zimbabwe’sbest efforts for some time. But the side will get better, given time,encouragement, and investment. The hope for 2005 is that the ZCU’sleadership stops pursing its own agenda and starts working for the goodof the game in Zimbabwe. Don’t hold your breath.Top PerformersTatenda Taibu Even in the pre-strike days he was a fixture in the side, but the departure of Streak saw him handed the captaincy aged only 20, andbarely a side to speak of. But he distanced himself from the politics -those who criticised him for doing so really didn’t understand quitewhat a difficult task he had anyway – and knuckled down to the job inhand. He moulded a side from nothing, and in the early days was the No. 1 batsman, wicketkeeper and seam bowler as well. The only worry was thatthe burden affected his own form as the year went on, but it was hardlysurprising, and it will return. Taibu is a class act.Elton Chigumbura Chucked in at the deep end after Streak’s departure, 18-year-old Chigumbura took a few games to find his feet but quickly showed that he possessed bundles of talent with 77 against Australia and then twofifties against England. The second one of those, a 47-ball 52 in thefirst home ODI against England, really gave Zimbabwe cricket the firstreason to smile in a long time. A powerful hitter of the ball, hisundoing was often a lemming-like desire to smack everything out of theground, but that will change in time. The skill is there in bundles. Heis also a useful medium-pace bowler.