Sportspersons key stakeholders in battle against drugs
ZIMBABWE Cricket has been facing a drugs problem in recent times and the latest resulted in national team all-rounders Wessly Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta being suspended by ZC pending a hearing after they tested positive for a banned recreational drug.
Madhevere and Mavuta both tested positive for a banned recreational drug in an out-of-competition case recorded during a recent in-house doping test.
And when the hearing was held, ZC banned Madhevere and Mavuta from playing for four months after they were found guilty.
They have also been fined the equivalent of half of their ZC salaries for three months.
Crucially they have to undergo rehabilitation overseen by ZC medical personnel and they were also ordered to train under ZC’s High Performance programme.
A third player, batter Kevin Kasuza was suspended pending a hearing after he too tested positive for a banned recreational drug last month and is facing a similar ruling.
In March last year, ZC suspended two emerging players for three months for using a recreational drug in an out-of-competition case.
The two players were not named and appeared for a disciplinary hearing after they were reported to ZC by a concerned citizen who caught them red-handed partaking in suspected substance abuse within the premises of a private residential complex.
They admitted to breaching the ZC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials under which they were charged.
When news of the four-month ban was released, there was concern that the punishment was a waste of time as there are no matches for the national team during the period of the ban.
This means the affected players will not miss any tour because of the ban as there are no fixtures scheduled for the period of the sanctions, which somewhat defeats the purpose of the ban as there are no actual effects.
It is as good as placing an international travel ban on someone who does not have a passport.
The sanctions, which were deemed lenient, have come at a time when local cricket fans are not sure why the Chevrons have been performing badly and choking at crucial stages of qualifiers for the white-ball World Cups.
Looking back at the Chevrons’ performances during the period when a number of players have been found on the wrong side of the law, it becomes easier to blame performances on the abuse of recreational drugs.
ZC should be going all out to campaign against drug abuse and even come up with or (in the event it exists) highlight to the public their policy on recreational drugs.
This is the case with the England and Wales Cricket Board where a policy was developed in partnership by ECB, PCA and the First Class Counties.
ECB says the policy is intended to fill a gap in the WADA Code and Prohibited List to screen for recreational substances out of competition.
Interestingly, ECB explain that the primary objective of the policy is to identify players who may have issues with substance abuse and ensure that they are provided with the most appropriate course of treatment.
Only if the player fails to comply, or commits a second violation, are they liable to ECB sanctions while counselling and treatment may still be made available to the player.
The fact that the ECB always has this issue of recreational drugs among its top priorities is proof the problem is universal and, as such, ZC ought to (if they have not been doing so) use experiences elsewhere within the International Cricket Council family to deal with the issue locally.
If they adequately attend to the issue, it will also be easier identifying real problem areas for cricket, especially on the international scene.
There has not been a sustained public campaign against drugs outside of the ICC banners during tournaments like World Cup qualifiers and the finals.
ZC would need to bombard their affiliates with anti-drugs campaign materials at every match and then hold actual seminars with players and officials so that they appreciate what is at stake.
On a positive side for ZC is the manner in which Mavuta has handled his issue since the initial suspension in December.
On the eve of the hearing, Mavuta apologised to all cricket stakeholders for his involvement in recreational drugs.
His initial apology attracted mixed feelings as some doubters claimed he was only issuing a public apology to minimise the damage ahead of the hearing while his camp obviously argued that he was being genuine.
He issued another apology this week while committing to undergo a rehabilitation programme and then come back stronger and more determined to bounce back and represent Zimbabwe.
Mavuta sounds remorseful and looks to have handled his crisis better.
Madhevere has not been forthcoming about the incident and has not publicly apologised although that does not mean he has not been remorseful.
The two cricketers and their colleagues need to realise that they are role models for many aspiring cricketers out there and their actions have the potential to lead kids astray at a time the country has since declared the drug problem a national disaster.
It is now common knowledge that the drugs problem cuts across sectors of society and sportspersons are expected to lead the way in fighting the menace both in speech and action.
And that is why Mavuta’s current actions are what is being expected of him and fellow sportspersons to help government achieve its goal of eradicating the drugs problem in the country.