Chingoka fights back as battle intensifies

Peter Chingoka: fighting fire with fire © Getty Images

The crisis in Zimbabwe cricket plunged to new depths with an escalation in the damaging stand-off between the national executive body and their provincial chairmen.

The increasing bitterness was apparent in the tone of Peter Chingoka's response to a letter from the provincial chairmen which contained demands for explanations of what they described as "unusual financial dealings" by executives and staff.

But Chingoka, the Zimbabwe Cricket chairman, dismissed the bulk of the queries, insisting the answers could be found in already published documents. Almost all the others matters raised were, he claimed, routine.

In a clear swipe at the chairmen's involvement in the game, Chingoka said: "I am surprised that responses to most of the questions raised in your document have not been furnished to you and your colleagues who do not sit on the board by those of you who do and some of whom are, in fact, chairmen of various ZC committees. I am sure you will agree with me that those who are chairmen of their respective committees are actually closer than the writer to several issues you raise."

The exposure given to Chingoka's response in the state-controlled Herald newspaper was in stark contrast to the scant coverage it gave the original meeting of the chairmen on October 21. There was also every indication that this latest incident in an increasingly bitter row between the board and stakeholders was being flagged as a racial battle.

The chairmen's letter probed the board's finances, asking why ZC made a $2.4 billion loss, why there were no explanations on debts and staff loans, no explanation on income, no breakdown on sponsors and grants of $1.4 billion, and why there was no explanation on secretarial costs that chewed up $3.8 billion. The dossier also accused the board of constantly breaching its own constitution and demanded answers about the package of Ozias Bvute, the ZC managing director.

The board's critics have also accused it of attempting to sidestep any attempted coup by the provincial chairman by creating new provinces and disrupting exiting ones. Max Ebrahim, the chairman of Masvingo and the head of national selection, made clear that there was no racial divide. "It's a case of six provinces and the players being together," he said. "It's a case of stakeholders versus two or three individuals bent on holding on to power."

The deepening crisis is being monitored by the ICC, although as this is a domestic matter, it is unlikely to become directly involved.