The recent test win by Zimbabwe against Pakistan had many cricket experts wondering where Pakistan cricket is heading to. But Pakistan side has always been mercurial and expect it to come back with a bang anytime soon. More importantly though, it also served as a stark reminder of what this spirited African side once was. The perennial underdog, it had delivered many an upset when it was at it’s best.
Indians need no reminder to the heroics of the Zimbabwean side. India missed out on two crucial points in the 1999 World Cup because of a shock loss to Zimbabwe. Andy Flower, along with Saeed Anwar, was perhaps the hardest batsman to dismiss for the earlier generation of Indian bowlers. Many would also remember the famous match Douglas Marillier won his team by hitting almost every ball behind the wicket keeper much to the frustration of our bowlers. Many credit the scoop shot to him and not to Tillakaratne Dilshan. Or take the fiery spell which Henry Olonga produced to single-handedly defeat India in Sharjah.
Fast forward to now, and Zimbabwe has managed to win a test against a big side (they have won against Bangaldesh) after a long gap of 12 years. Lot of things have happened in the country since 2001. The political turmoil and economic crisis have impacted their cricket. To add to that, the white player walkout, self-imposed exile from test cricket and growing financial debt on the cricket board has made it very difficult for the game to sustain itself. After the recent India-Zimbabwe series, it was sad to read a report which showed the huge chasm between the salaries earned by Indian players and their Zimbabwean counterparts.
While the recent test win will bring some optimism to the squad, Zimbabwe will not play international cricket for the next 5 months. The board simply does not have enough money to host international sides. Many of the best cricketing names – Neil Johnson, Murray Goodwin, and Sean Ervine – left the country due to issues with the board and sadly, cricket’s never recovered.
This article by Firdose Moonda details the problems endemic to cricket in the country. He points out that International Cricket Council cannot fund bilateral series but perhaps here the council can make an exception. The cash rich BCCI can also help by providing some financial aid or atleast host these players for List A games in our country. Cricket is a small community and it is upto the members to lend a helping hand. Much like the West Indians, Zimbabweans bring a lot of joy to the game. And cricket would do well with that spirit!
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