Source: We should not be our own enemies! – DailyNews Live
17 October 2017
HARARE – Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC)’s successful bid to host the 2018 World Cup
qualifiers is indeed a rare dose of good news for the local sporting
fraternity.
For those enamoured with cricket, the granting of rights to Zimbabwe to
host the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers and the International Cricket
Council (ICC) board meeting in March and April, respectively, are
important developments.
The fact that the ICC settled for Zimbabwe ahead of the United Arab
Emirates and a joint bid from Scotland and Ireland speaks volumes of faith
that it has in this country and the ZC’s ability to organise flawless
qualifiers.
There are many memories that are evoked by this decision and some of them
relate to the 2000s era where our cricket suffered badly as the
international community refused to accept the radical transformational
changes that had been brought by the game’s chiefs who wanted the elite
sport to reflect the country’s population demographics.
No one has forgotten the revolt by a section of the top cricketers whose
conduct towards their country was summed up by the decision by some of the
players who wore black armbands “mourning death of democracy” in Zimbabwe.
Our politicians stand between a successful hosting of World Cup qualifiers
and their cancellation.
It is everyone’s hope in the sporting fraternity that events leading to
the 2018 elections would not cause the ICC to change its choice.
There are real prospects of chaos emanating from the Zanu PF ugly tribal
and succession wars which have spooked investors.
Apart from the infighting, the country’s economy continues to head south
with no solutions insight.
Already, there are signs that the long suffering ordinary Zimbabweans are
becoming restive.
Panic buying witnessed in shops last month and the erratic fuel supplies
and shortages of critical drugs in hospitals and pharmacies serve to
remind the Zanu PF government of the humungous task it has to turn things
around.
For those looking for a respite from the daily economic struggles, the
ZC’s right to host the World Cup qualifiers should not slip away because
of our government’s failure to act on the mounting problems.
The country has an opportunity to send a strong message to millions of
people tuning in to the live games during this period that the ICC did not
make a mistake in granting the ZC the right to host these matches.
We should not be our own enemies!
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