ZC workers to take pay cuts
AUSTERITY measures at Zimbabwe Cricket will see employees taking a significant salary cut after the International Cricket Council slashed funding by US$4 million from last November.
ZC’s annual allocation from the ICC was reduced from US$9 million to US$5 million.
Tavengwa Mukuhlani, the ZC chairman, said despite ICC slashing funding in November last year, they still continued to pay their employees their usual salaries to cushion them from prevailing economic challenges.
He indicated that once ICC reinstates full funding later this year, ZC will readjust employees’ pay.
“The distribution has been reduced from $9 million to $5 million from September 2019 to October 2020, but ZC has started to effect the changes now. This was done to cushion employees. Once normal distribution resumes, salaries will be adjusted again,” Mukuhlani said.
Zimbabwe have a jam-packed Future Tours Programme for 2020 and Mukuhlani stated that they had to engage tough actions to enable them to fulfil their obligations.
“ZC has a packed FTP for the first time in a long time, so we had to take the cautionary measures now in order to avoid canceling tours, as has been witnessed with Ireland lately. This is purely a cautionary measure.”
In addition to pay cuts, ZC will not televise all non-profitable home tours, but transmit the matches via the internet. ZC will also not engage in any home tours that do not generate revenue.
“Further to salary cuts, all loss-making home tours will be live streamed and more Test matches will be played away from home. Any bilateral tours without context won’t be played. Instead more emphasis will be given to the (Zimbabwe) A side, domestic and ZC Academy, which will be introduced soon,” said Mukuhlani.
Zimbabwe recently hosted Sri Lanka in two
Test matches and the series is likely to have left a big hole in ZC finances. The two matches were, however, live streamed and not televised.
Zimbabwe head to Bangladesh for one Test, three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals this month.
Ireland are scheduled to tour Zimbabwe in April for one Test and five T20Is. ZC might replace the Test with ODIs due to costs associated with hosting a five-day contest.
Zimbabwe are scheduled to tour Australia for three ODIs, host India and Netherlands before heading to Sri Lanka as well as Pakistan later in the year.
Meanwhile, on the domestic front, Tuskers host Rangers in back-to-back Pro50 matches at Queens Sports Club on Wednesday and Thursday, while Mountaineers play against Eagles in Harare on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Saturday and Monday, Mountaineers take on Tuskers at Takashinga Cricket Club, with Eagles clashing against Rhinos at Harare Sports Club.
National selectors will use the Pro50 matches to choose the Chevrons’ squad for the tour of Bangladesh. — @
Mdawini_29
LEG spinner, Priviledge Chesa produced a brilliant bowling spell, which saw him hauling five wickets to lead Zimbabwe to a thumping 172-run victory over Scotland in an ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 11th place play-off at the Diamond Oval yesterday.
The win ensured Zimbabwe finished the tournament in 11th position out of 16 teams, the same spot they secured in the last ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand two years ago.
Zimbabwe won three of the six matches they played in South Africa; two of the wins coming against Scotland and Canada.
Man-of-the-Match Chesa, who was appearing for the first time in this tournament, finished with 5/49 off 10 overs.
He picked up a wicket in his first over and got his fifth wicket with the last delivery he bowled. Scotland were bowled out for 182 runs in 33.4 overs in response to Zimbabwe’s mammoth 354/8 in their allotted 50 overs.
Chesa, who got to keep the ball, was delighted to have taken five for in a World Cup, with the youngster stating that he had a feeling he was going to get five wickets before he went on to bowl.
“It feels great to take a fifer at such a tournament, playing my first game. I’m pretty much happy, I believed in my ability. Before I went in to bowl, I actually told the physio that today is my day, I am going to do something big today,” Chesa said.
Opening batsman Tadiwanashe Marumani top scored for Zimbabwe with 90 off 92. He put on a century stand for the secondwicket partnership with Milton Shumba (69), while Emmanuel Bawa also showed his batting prowess by contributing 56 to carry Zimbabwe to a huge total.
Coach Prosper Utseya was pleased that his team managed to finish 11th, meaning they get automatic qualification for the next tournament in the West Indies in 2022.
“I am happy with the victory; it was a convincing one. We needed to finish well to make sure we finished number 11 so that come the next World Cup we don’t have to go through qualification. So, on that note I am happy,” Utseya said.
Zimbabwe did not get off to a good start after winning the toss on a good batting track. Their star batsmen Wesley Madhevere was removed for 15 by Kess Sajjad, who had him caught at point by Daniel Cairns.
Marumani and Shumba shared a 138-run stand for the second wicket to take the game away from the Scots. The left-handed pair took advantage of some sloppy fielding by the fielders to pile on the runs, with the two offering chances the Scots failed to take.
Scotland lost a wicket in the first over of their chase, with Uzzair Shah falling to Sakhumuzi Ndlela.
Although they kept up with the scoring rate early into their chase, they failed to build meaningful partnerships.
Cairns top scored for the Scots with 58 runs, but there wasn’t much contribution with the bat from the rest of his teammates. — @Mdawini_29