The turmoils of Zimbabwe Cricket: should the ICC help out?

It’s been an eventful year for Brendan Taylor’s Zimbabwe. (Getty Images)

In comparison, the current year has been quite eventful as they toured West Indies for two Tests before hosting India and Pakistan. Though a new look Indian team routed them 5-0 in the ODI series, the positive effect of exposure at the highest level was there for all to see. Zimbabwe showed steady improvement in their game against the world champions, which culminated in wins in an ODI and a Test against a full strength Pakistan side.

Zimbabwe’s next international engagement will be in the forthcoming twenty20 World Cup in 2014 in Bangladesh, after which Zimbabwe Cricket is contemplating a tri-series along with Australia and South Africa. Not only will it leave Zimbabwe without any cricket for six months, but also stall the progress it had in its standard of cricket in the last couple of months.

While it is easy to criticise ZC for failing to take care of even the basics – by paying its cricketers and the administrative staff – it should be noted that the economy of the country isn’t in great shape either.

It would be unfair to evaluate the cricket establishment in isolation and expect it to remain insulated from the financial turmoil in Zimbabwe. The inconsistencies of the surroundings are bound to have a bearing on how the cricket board works.

In such scenario, the ICC must step in and along with the Zimbabwean board it must work a way out of the present predicament. May be it can advance the annual grant it is supposed to give or help organise tournaments in the country, which will make cricket popular in Zimbabwe and in turn attract sponsors for ZC. All this while, it should also be ensured that money trickles down to the lower rungs of the system as well and the domestic structure remains in good health.

Though other boards – who are in better financial condition – have no obligation towards ZC, they can loan some finance in this hour of need or offer to jointly host a bilateral series in Zimbabwe.

At a time when the ICC is making lofty claims of attempting to save Test cricket with the help of World Test Championship, and increase the global presence of cricket by taking it to untapped markets through the Twenty20 version, one of its biggest priorities should be to ensure that the game doesn’t suffer in the territory of any of its full-time members, which in all honesty, is an extremely exclusive club.