Tim Wigmore points out that more games, even against Associate nations, will help cricket’s big underachievers to improve their standards
I t says everything about the nonsense of cricket being governed by status, not on-field results, that Afghanistan could consider themselves disappointed to only defeat Zimbabwe 3-2 in a one-day international series away.
But for a shambolic collapse in the third match – Afghanistan lost their last five wickets for five runs, somehow contriving to lose from 121-5 when chasing 130 – the series would have been won 4-1. Yet, by bundling Zimbabwe out for just 54 in the final match of the series, Afghanistan gave a timely reminder of their superiority.
In head-to-head matches between the sides, across ODI and T20I cricket, Afghanistan lead Zimbabwe 16-8, and have won the last five bilateral series between the two. Afghanistan A also just thumped Zimbabwe A 4-1 in a 50-over series. Nestled in these statistics is the unarguable truth that Afghanistan are simply a better cricket side.
But, of course, it is Zimbabwe’s voice that matters far more in world cricket’s corridors of power; indeed, as a mere Associate (at least for now), Afghanistan do not even have a proper vote on the ICC board. This sounds like dreary administrative minutiae, but could go a long way towards shaping the future of the sport, for all countries.
That’s because Zimbabwe suggest they will join India in voting against radical ICC proposals which include sharing funding and power more equitably, and establishing a proper structure for bilateral cricket – a nine-team Test league, with Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe also having Test status and regular guaranteed matches outside the structure, and a 13-team ODI league.
Such politicking, of course, shows exactly why world cricket is in dire need of reform: Zimbabwe could oppose the progressive changes simply on the basis of a few more ODIs against a below-strength India team, who have toured Zimbabwe four times in six years.
Still, the ICC are far from resigned to their best-laid plans being scuppered by short-termism yet again. ESPN Cricinfo’s Firdose Moonda reports that Geoff Allardice, ICC general manager, is travelling to Zimbabwe to explain how the new structures would work – and how Zimbabwe would be better off under them.
This is why, even in their own narrow interests, Zimbabwe would be wrong to vote against the ICC’s broad reform package. Their fixtures are so infrequent that last year Zimbabwe even briefly lost their Test ranking due to not playing enough matches. Under the 9-plus-3 model for Test cricket proposed, Zimbabwe would be outside the elite nine-team league, but would still be guaranteed regular matches against the leading nine teams. What’s more, Zimbabwe would have more chance of being competitive when they did play.
With Afghanistan and Ireland elevated to Test status, Zimbabwe would play more overall Test cricket than they do today. And playing Afghanistan and Ireland would imbue Zimbabwe with valuable experience of playing matches against more evenly-matched teams – and going into games expected to win, rather than with gallant defeat being regarded as a fine result. That would be for the good of Zimbabwe cricket.
It is much the same with shorter formats of the game. The 13-team ODI league would guarantee each country 36 ODIs over a three-year cycle. There is also the possibility of a T20I league running parallel to the ODI league, and countries will be free to organise extra bilateral games outside the structure, too.
What all this would do is guarantee Zimbabwe far more cricket. The certainty of fixtures would allow Zimbabwe to plan ahead, rather than arrange series last minute, if funds allow, to plug interminable gaps in their schedule – currently they have no matches until touring Sri Lanka at the end of July. This would encourage sponsors and commercial partners to stump up more cash, especially as Zimbabwe would be guaranteed to play every leading Test country in ODIs over a three-year period. That would mean they could pay their players more, vital considering the coterie of high-class cricketers, such as Brendan Taylor and Kyle Karvis, who have left Zimbabwe.
The extra matches would help Zimbabwe improve, and encourage their best players to remain in the set-up, rather than be demotivated by vast stretches of non-meaningful cricket. Recall Taylor’s words when, after a brilliant World Cup, he quit international cricket for a Kolpak deal with Notts two years ago. “I started getting mentally stale in Zimbabwe. I didn’t dislike anyone; I just felt everything was moving very slowly,” he said. “Zimbabwe has not been playing enough cricket.”
If they have their own best interests at heart, then, Zimbabwe will sign up to the ICC’s proposals – which could do far more to aid their cricket than the odd extra ODI against India. And, hearteningly, Heath Streak, one of the totems of the Zimbabwe side who reached the Super Six in consecutive World Cups in 1999 and 2003 who is now head coach, appears to recognise as much.
Under the new structure, Zimbabwe might have to get used to plenty more defeats against top Associate nations. But hiding from their own frailties, and being “scared” to play Associates, as an ICC insider lamented a couple of years ago, is no way to better a nation’s cricket.
Zimbabwe continues to produce a huge amount of cricket talent; it is just that the current realities of international cricket, allied to the often shambolic administration, do not allow them to show the world. Ultimately by embracing ICC’s brave new world, Zimbabwe will give themselves the best chance of transform- ing their cricket – and being seen, as they once were, not as a basket case but as one of the sport’s unobtrusive overachievers.
z Even before it begins, the second edition of the Hong Kong Blitz is already established as easily the most exciting domestic tournament in Associate history.
Just look at the calibre of players at Hong Kong Island United alone – Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Ajmal, Samuel Badree and Ian Bell. Elsewhere, Tymal Mills and Kumar Sangakkara can be seen when the five-day T20 tournament begins on Wednesday.
It amounts to affirmation of the possibilities for Associate cricket – even those nations denied anything like the funding and international playing opportunities enjoyed by Afghanistan and Ireland.
There has never been more energy, passion and skill in the Associate world – not just on the field but among administrators, too, and Hong Kong’s chief executive Tim Cutler is an illustration of what dynamic off-field leadership can achieve in the sport’s outposts.
This piece originally featured in The Cricket Paper, March 3 2017
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