Zimbabwean Cricket Crisis - Team Hits Rock Bottom

Team Hits Rock Bottom

In 2004, the Zimbabwe Cricket Union sacked their white captain Heath Streak after he had confronted them with the team's grievances, several other players having also resigned by this time. Streak was replaced by the young and untested Tatenda Taibu. Fifteen senior players were involved in a stand-off over this and other selection issues, resulting in their dismissal from Zimbabwean cricket. Following poor performances by a second-string (and almost all black) Zimbabwe team against Sri Lanka, the ZCU and ICC agreed that Zimbabwe would play no Test cricket in 2004, and this self-imposed suspension remained in force from 10 June 2004 to 6 January 2005.

In their first match after the suspension, Zimbabwe lost to Bangladesh at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong by 226 runs. The second and final match in the series was drawn. Bangladesh had until then been generally considered the weakest team in Test cricket, and by beating Zimbabwe, recorded its first ever Test match and series victories. Bangladesh then defeated Zimbabwe in a limited overs series.

In February and March 2005, Zimbabwe toured South Africa to play three LOIs and two Tests. Zimbabwe was completely and hopelessly outclassed, and Wisden 2006 described the tour as "gruesome" and "embarrassing to all who saw it".

Meanwhile, in domestic cricket, the Logan Cup had been played, with just four participants, and had been won as usual by Mashonaland. But it is debatable if the competition should have retained first-class status and there were grave doubts about its future: see 2004-05 Zimbabwean cricket season.

In August 2005, the New Zealand cricket team arrived in Zimbabwe to play two Test matches and duly won both by an innings with embarrassing ease. The tour was inevitably preceded by controversy because of strong feeling in New Zealand about Mugabe. As with the previous England and Australia situations, the New Zealand government advised the team not to go but did not actually bar them from doing so. Since the ICC would not accept any other reason for non-attendance, the New Zealand players turned up and won easily. However, the NZ government did have some fight in them because they effectively banned a return tour by refusing to issue visas to the Zimbabwean party.

During the New Zealand series, Zimbabwe Cricket fired national coach Phil Simmons. The players signed a petition to denounce the decision and Simmons took ZC to court while they tried to have him deported.

In September 2005, the visitors were India; like New Zealand, India was not barred from going to Zimbabwe and decided to go to avert ICC sanctions. In India's case, controversy erupted within its own team on account of arguments between team captain Sourav Ganguly and the new coach Greg Chappell. This row diverted the sport's attention from Zimbabwe and shifted the focus onto India. Despite its problems, the Indian team won both matches easily against sub-standard opposition.

There had been a brief reconciliation with some of the rebel players, Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut having played in some of the 2005 Tests, but then the Simmons affair sparked a wider mutiny under Taibu's leadership. In October 2005, Streak announced his retirement from international cricket and indicated that he would concentrate on a county career with Warwickshire CCC in England. In November 2005, Taibu resigned as captain. He stated that: "If we don't do anything, cricket in Zimbabwe will die within a year". Taibu is now playing as an overseas player for Namibia in South African provincial competition. He, however, was surprisingly a member of the 07/08 squad for the series against Pakistan in Pakistan. Taibu was then a key gog in the national team.