Zimbabwe A squad for Canada series named
AN 18-man Zimbabwe A squad has been named for three one-day matches against Canada in Harare next week.
The squad was selected with Zimbabwe’s upcoming tours of Scotland, Netherlands and Sri Lanka in mind.
National team captain Graeme Cremer has been included in the Zimbabwe A side for the Canada series alongside fellow seasoned internationals Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza Butt, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Tinashe Panyangara, Malcolm Waller, Tendai Chatara
the attractions was that it is something that has a lot of potential.”
That “challenge” cannot be underestimated, but at least Hasnain has not walked into it blindly. ZC are currently $20m in debt, with most of it owed to local banks at eye watering interest rates. The financial problems have seen the domestic season continually interrupted, and their international fixtures diminish with each passing year. Qualification for the next World Cup, so important for both the money and exposure, looks to be a tough ask with the top Associates closing in.
Last year, after being fired as coach, Dav Whatmore’s parting shot was to predict that Zimbabwe would follow the path of Kenya. It was difficult to disagree. Most of the cricket world has given up on Zimbabwe.
“I think I know where the problems lie,” says Hasnain. “You have to change that entire culture within ZC — change the way the and Elton Chigumbura.
The Canadians are expected to arrive in Harare tomorrow.
The three one-day matches will all be played at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday next week.
The Canadians will, however, first face a High Performance Centre side in a warm-up game at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.
Canada last toured Zimbabwe in January 2015 for a 50-over series, which Zimbabwe A won 3-1.
finances are run, the governing structures, the cricketing structure both domestically as well as internationally. We can start by making progress on all those fronts.
“It’s almost got to be starting with a blank sheet of paper and saying, ‘Okay, how would we like ZC to be organised in terms of the secretariat? What should be the structure?’ Similarly on the domestic side — again a clean sheet of paper, and looking at best practice. How do we benchmark ourselves with the Australian domestic season — or the English or Indian domestic seasons?
“No doubt the financial situation is the biggest obstacle we are facing, but if over the next three to four months we are able to somehow reach an understanding with the banks, the ICC and other member boards, we can then plan our finances accordingly and see how we can spend money in the areas where they can be spent — mainly in order to
The Zimbabwe A side last week whitewashed Namibia 4-0 in another oneday series played in Windhoek. improve the performances of the team.”
The “understanding” relates to discussions with the ICC over a bailout package that could release ZC from its high-interest debts. Were that to happen, Hasnain says ZC can return to the black within three years, even if it fails to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.
Many might ask whether ZC deserves such a chance, given the way in which it has handled its financial affairs. The past seven years have seen wasteful over-expenditure by administrators with conflicts of interest, and the misuse of an ICC loan.
But there are reasons to be more positive now. Those administrators have all moved on, and there appears to be a genuine desire to turn things around. The very fact that someone like Hasnain — an experienced financial man with independence from the local cricket politics — has been allowed in to look behind ZC’s veil suggests a willingness to transform.
His arrival coincides with the appointment of a new chief financial officer in the form of Feroza Shariff, a Zimbabwean with experience in local banking institutions. She replaces Ester Lupepe, who left ZC at the end of 2016 amidst allegations that she was behind the botched audit which embarrassed ZC last year. Since her departure, ZC’s internal auditing has been done by a reputable accounting firm in Bulawayo. “Hiring an outside firm to do the internal audit gives a little independence,” notes Hasnain, “and the reports they have issued have been good. Again it’s a step that shows ZC is trying to identify and address the problems that are taking place internally.
“ZC has made moves which suggest it is trying to turn a corner and leave certain things